Alexandre Bissonnette, a Canadian who has pleaded guilty of killing six people in a Quebec mosque in 2017, is seen in a Facebook posting. Photo: Handout via Reuters</s>Quebec City (AFP) - A Canadian man went on trial Monday for an attack on a Quebec City mosque last year, pleading not guilty to charges of shooting to death six worshippers and wounding many others.

As each of the 12 counts of murder and attempted murder against him were read out in court, Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, murmured: "Not guilty."

The rampage on January 29, 2017 was one of the deadliest ever against Muslims in a Western country, leaving six dead and more than 30 injured, including one man who is now tetraplegic.

The gunman opened fire at the end of Sunday prayers at Quebec City's Islamic Cultural Center, a mosque located in a normally quiet neighborhood.

Police say Bissonnette called an emergency line after the shooting and confessed. They found him in his car, parked on the side of a rural road about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the mosque, and arrested him.

Judge François Huot has ordered a publication ban on evidence to be presented at the trial.

The accused appeared to show little interest in the court proceedings, only occasionally glancing in the direction of his lawyers.

Over the coming days, the court will select 12 jurors for the trial by judge and jury, from a list of 600, of which nearly one-fifth have asked to be recused.

The prosecution and defense are expected to then present a joint statement of facts, followed by the first witnesses expected to testify.

The trial is scheduled to last until the end of May.

For the survivors and their families, seeing Bissonnette in court brought back painful memories. They attended the proceedings hoping to gain some understanding of why such violence was unleashed on them.

Described by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "terrorist attack," the shooting spree was a brutal blow to Canada's multicultural, open and tolerant society, and to a nation that welcomes tens of thousands of refugees each year.

Introverted, educated and with no particularly interesting backstory, Bissonnette was revealed after his arrest to be a white supremacist opposed to Muslim immigration, but not affiliated with any group.

The six murder victims were Canadian dual nationals born in Algeria (two), Guinea (two), Morocco and Tunisia, and who had long ago resettled in Quebec.

They were a scholar, a butcher, a daycare operator, a food industry worker, a public servant and a computer programmer -- all connected by faith.

In the aftermath, Trudeau and others gathered in the city to express their solidarity with the Muslim community.

But the attack also emboldened nationalist and right-wing extremists who have become more vocal against immigration and "radical Islam," despite distancing themselves from the young attacker seemingly inspired by their rhetoric.

Since the shooting, a pig's head has been left on the steps of the mosque, and the mosque president's car was deliberately set on fire.

Last March, nearly 200 demonstrated against a motion in Canada's parliament condemning Islamophobia. It passed 201 to 91.</s>QUEBEC CITY - A Canadian man known for his far-right, nationalist sympathies pleaded guilty Wednesday to the killing last year of six worshippers at a Quebec mosque - a surprising turn of events in a case that shocked the nation. The rampage on January 29, 2017, which also left more than 30 injured, was one of the worst attacks on an Islamic place of worship in the West. Described in the immediate aftermath by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “terrorist attack,” the shooting spree was a brutal blow to Canada’s multicultural society, and to a nation that welcomes tens of thousands of refugees each year.

Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, opened fire on a cold, snowy night at the end of Sunday prayers at Quebec City’s Islamic Cultural Center, a mosque located in a normally quiet neighborhood.

He had initially pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial on Monday on the advice of his lawyers, but apparently had a change of heart.

“I’ve decided to plead guilty to all of the charges ... in order to prevent the families of the victims from having to relive” the horrors of the attack, said Bissonnette, who also faced six counts of attempted murder.

Sobs erupted in the courtroom as Judge Francois Huot accepted Bissonnette’s guilty plea, following a court-ordered psychiatric assessment.

“I find you guilty of these murders,” he said.

Bissonnette, who was a university student at the time of the shooting, could now face a life sentence, or a minimum of 25 years in prison.

In court, Bissonnette - who police say called an emergency line and confessed shortly after the shooting, sobbing over the phone - read aloud from a crumpled piece of paper, saying: “I bitterly regret what I did, the lives that I destroyed.

“I am neither a terrorist, nor an Islamophobe,” he said. “I do not know why I did a foolish thing like that, and still today I’m having a hard time believing it.”

Introverted and educated, Bissonnette had been described after his arrest as a white supremacist opposed to Muslim immigration, but not affiliated with any group.

He told the court on Wednesday how he had been “swept away by fear and by horrible despair that had brought on thoughts of suicide.”

Turning to the families and friends of the victims and survivors packed into the courtroom, he offered an apology but added, “I know my actions are unforgivable.”

The six victims - Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti - were Canadian dual nationals born in Algeria (two), Guinea (two), Morocco and Tunisia, and who had long ago resettled in Quebec.

They were a scholar, a butcher, a daycare operator, a food industry worker, a public servant and a computer programmer - all connected by faith.

The president of the mosque, Boufeldja Benabdallah, expressed relief.

“We are satisfied with the verdict,” he said outside the courtroom.

“The evil is done,” he added. “It will be up to the families to decide whether to forgive him.”</s>QUEBEC CITY, March 28 (Reuters) - A former Canadian university student on Wednesday pleaded guilty to killing six men who were praying in a Quebec City mosque in January 2017, averting a trial in one of the country´s rare mass shootings.

Alexandre Bissonnette told a Quebec City court that he wanted to change his previous plea of not guilty.

The judge declared him guilty on six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially described the shooting as a terrorist attack, although prosecutors did not charge Bissonnette with terrorism. Police have described him as a "lone wolf" attacker. Mass shootings are rare in Canada, where gun control laws are stricter than the United States. (Reporting by Kevin Dougherty in Quebec City. Writing by Allison Lampert in Montreal Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Bill Trott)</s>Jan. 29, 2017 — A lone man enters the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City during evening prayers and begins shooting, killing six men and wounding 19 others. Police arrest two suspects, but after further investigation say only one — then 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette — is a suspect. They say the other person is a witness.

Jan. 30, 2017 — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins vigil in Quebec City. He calls the massacre an act of terrorism and tells the country's Muslims: "We are with you. Thirty-six million hearts are breaking with yours." Bissonnette, a Universite Laval student, appears in court and is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder with a restricted weapon.

Feb. 1, 2017 — The mosque opens its doors to the public — its floor and walls are still splattered with blood from the carnage.

Feb. 2, 2017 — Thousands show up to a Montreal arena for the funeral service of three of the victims — Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, Khaled Belkacemi, 60, and Aboubaker Thabti, 44.

April 20, 2017 — A relative of one of the shooting victims pleads guilty to uttering death threats against Bissonnette. Mohamed-Amine Ben-Faras, 33, the nephew of Azzedine Soufiane, told the judge he arrived in Quebec from London and headed to the mosque to try to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths. He was ordered to leave Canada for three years.

Oct. 2, 2017 — The Crown is granted permission to proceed directly to trial without a preliminary inquiry. They also add a sixth charge of attempted murder with a restricted weapon. The Crown explains the new charge involves people, including four children, who were in close proximity when the attack occurred. The Crown also announces there won't be any terrorism-related charges.

Jan. 31, 2018 — Bissonnette's parents, Manon Marchand and Raymond Bissonnette, discuss their son publicly for the first time in a letter sent to Radio-Canada in which they describe the actions of Alexandre as "inexcusable" and "totally inexplicable." But they also say they stand by their son. "Alexandre is still our son whom we love and who will always be a part of our family. Like all parents, we hoped to see him succeed and be happy in life. In a way, we have also lost a son."

March 26, 2018 — Bissonnette enters not guilty pleas for 12 charges, including six of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder. He announces in the afternoon he wants to change his pleas to guilty but the judge does not accept them pending a psychiatric assessment of the accused.</s>QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) - A former Canadian university student has pleaded guilty to killing six men who were praying in a Quebec City mosque in January 2017, a court said on Wednesday, averting a trial in one of the country’s rare mass shootings.

Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, handcuffed and wearing leg irons as he entered the Quebec City courtroom, had asked on Monday to change his previous plea of not guilty.

Quebec Superior Court Justice François Huot imposed a publication ban on the guilty plea and ordered Bissonnette to undergo a psychiatric examination to ensure he knew the consequences of his decision.

Speaking to the courtroom, which included members of the mosque, the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec, Bissonnette said he regretted what he did and decided to plead guilty to spare the families the hardship of a trial.

“I am ashamed of what I did,” he said. “I am not a terrorist, I am not an Islamophobe.”

The judge declared him guilty on six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

The slightly built, dark-haired Bissonnette looked down and at times wiped away tears as the judge read out the names of the mosque shooting victims.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially described the shooting as a terrorist attack, although prosecutors did not charge Bissonnette with terrorism.

Police have described him as a “lone wolf” attacker.

Mass shootings are rare in Canada, where gun control laws are stricter than in the United States.

Sentencing arguments begin on April 10. Bissonnette faces at least 25 years in prison, and could receive concurrent sentences totaling more than 100 years.</s>QUEBEC – A judge on Wednesday accepted Alexandre Bissonnette’s guilty pleas to six charges of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder in connection with the shooting at a Quebec City mosque in January 2017. Some quotes:

“That he’s not a terrorist — those are his claims.” — Boufeldja Benamdallah, president of the mosque where the killings occurred, talking about Bissonnette’s comment he is not a terrorist.

“You saw the people (in the courtroom). They were still very affected. Many of them were crying. People are still in shock.” — Benamdallah.

“It is clear that Mr. Bissonnette was a troubled young man. (He) decided to set aside some elements and take full responsibility for his actions. Several factors were taken into account in the decision but the most important one was his respect for the victims, considering his sincere regrets.” — Charles-Olivier Gosselin, one of Bissonnette’s lawyers.

“We hope with all our heart that that Alexandre Bissonnette’s guilt will allow survivors to feel a sense of justice and to soothe their suffering.” — Thomas Jacques, one of the Crown prosecutors.

“When you lose a partner, you don’t forget that from one day to the next.” — Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume, who was a staunch supporter of the city’s Muslim community in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“Our hope is that today’s admission of guilt will provide the families of the victims and the survivors some sense of comfort and closure as they continue their healing journey.” — Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.</s>QUEBEC — Timeline of events following the deadly shooting at a mosque in Quebec City in 2017:

Jan. 29, 2017 — A lone man enters the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City during evening prayers and begins shooting, killing six men and wounding 19 others. Police arrest two suspects, but after further investigation say only one — then 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette — is a suspect. They say the other person is a witness.

Jan. 30, 2017 — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins vigil in Quebec City. He calls the massacre an act of terrorism and tells the country's Muslims: "We are with you. Thirty-six million hearts are breaking with yours." Bissonnette, a Universite Laval student, appears in court and is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder with a restricted weapon.

Feb. 1, 2017 — The mosque opens its doors to the public — its floor and walls are still splattered with blood from the carnage.

Feb. 2, 2017 — Thousands show up to a Montreal arena for the funeral service of three of the victims — Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, Khaled Belkacemi, 60, and Aboubaker Thabti, 44.

Feb. 3, 2017 — Thousands of mourners, including Trudeau, pay respects at a Quebec City convention centre for three other victims shot to death — Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Ibrahima Barry, 39, and Azzeddine Soufiane, 57.

Feb. 5, 2017 — Worshippers from the mosque lead hundreds of Quebec City residents on a march to promote unity and tolerance.

April 20, 2017 — A relative of one of the shooting victims pleads guilty to uttering death threats against Bissonnette. Mohamed-Amine Ben-Faras, 33, the nephew of Azzedine Soufiane, told the judge he arrived in Quebec from London and headed to the mosque to try to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths. He was ordered to leave Canada for three years.

Oct. 2, 2017 — The Crown is granted permission to proceed directly to trial without a preliminary inquiry. They also add a sixth charge of attempted murder with a restricted weapon. The Crown explains the new charge involves people, including four children, who were in close proximity when the attack occurred. The Crown also announces there won't be any terrorism-related charges.

Jan. 29, 2018 — More than 1,000 people gather to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting.</s>In a dramatic turn of events, the man accused of killing six men as they attended prayer in a Quebec City mosque last year has pleaded guilty to six charges of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder.

Alexandre Bissonnette originally pleaded not guilty to the 12 charges Monday morning but that afternoon announced he was changing his mind and wanted to plead guilty.

Superior Court Justice Francois Huot refused to accept the pleas pending a psychiatric assessment of the accused to ensure he fully understood the consequences.

Huot placed a publication ban on Monday afternoon’s proceedings but agreed this morning to accept the 12 guilty pleas.

The charges against Bissonnette, 28, were related to a shooting attack at the Islamic Cultural Centre in January 2017 in which the six men aged between 39 and 60 were killed.

The counts of attempted murder involved five people who were struck by bullets and a sixth charge encompassed the other people present at the mosque.

Bissonnette told Huot on Monday he had been thinking for sometime of pleading guilty but that he was missing certain pieces of evidence, which he received Sunday.

Interfaith groups to form ‘rings of peace’ around mosques in Canada

Canadians mourn victims of Quebec City mosque attack in vigils across country

Canada shaken by ‘brutal and hateful’ attack, Trudeau says at funeral service</s>QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) - A former Canadian university student has pleaded guilty to killing six men who were praying in a Quebec City mosque in January 2017, a court said on Wednesday, averting a trial in one of the country’s rare mass shootings.

 Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, handcuffed and wearing leg irons as he entered the Quebec City courtroom, had asked on Monday to change his previous plea of not guilty. 

 Quebec Superior Court Justice François Huot accepted the new plea on Wednesday after taking steps to ensure Bissonnette understood the consequences of professing his guilt.

 Speaking to the courtroom, which included members of the mosque, the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec, Bissonnette asked the victims' families for forgiveness and said he decided to plead guilty to spare them the hardship of a trial.

 “I would like to ask forgiveness for all that I have done," he said. “If at least by pleading guilty I can do a little good in all this, that would be something."

 Bissonnette did not explain why he had targeted the mosque but said he had held "suicidal thoughts" and an "obsession" with death. 

 “I am not a terrorist, nor an Islamophobe," he said.

 The judge declared him guilty on six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

 Congregants gathered at the courthouse said they were relieved to avoid a lengthy trial, but that it would be difficult for families to forgive Bissonnette.

 “Our people are still in a state of shock. The sentence has to be pronounced. A lot of things have to happen,” outgoing mosque president Mohamed Labadi told reporters. “There is still a deep sadness, even though he has admitted his guilt.”

 The slightly built, dark-haired Bissonnette looked down and at times wiped away tears as the judge read out the names of the mosque shooting victims. 

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially described the shooting as a terrorist attack, although prosecutors did not charge Bissonnette with terrorism.

 Police have described him as a “lone wolf” attacker. 

 Mass shootings are rare in Canada, where gun control laws are stricter than in the United States.

 Sentencing arguments begin on April 10. Bissonnette faces at least 25 years in prison, and could receive concurrent sentences totaling more than 100 years.

 

 (Reporting by Kevin Dougherty in Quebec City. Writing by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by David Gregorio and Tom Brown)
A court in Quebec City accepts guilty pleas to six murders and six attempted murders tendered by Alexandre Bissonnette on March 26 and lifts restrictions on reporting the pleas after he passes a psychiatric evaluation. The charges relate to the January 2017 Islamophobic shooting at a mosque that Justin Trudeau described as a terrorist attack.