Sword-wielding man in medieval clothing kills 2, injures 5 in Quebec
The attacks occurred late Saturday in multiple locations near Chateau Frontenac and the Quebec provincial Parliament. The man was arrested on Sunday after a manhunt. PHOTO: AFP
MONTREAL: Two people were killed and five wounded in a Halloween attack in Quebec City by a sword-wielding suspect dressed in medieval clothing, the police said yesterday.
The rampage occurred late Saturday in multiple locations in the Old Quebec neighbourhood, near the tourist hot spot Chateau Frontenac and the Quebec provincial Parliament, according to the police.
The suspect, "a man in his mid-20s", was armed with a sword and dressed in "medieval clothing", Quebec City police spokesman Etienne Doyon said. The police have not given a motive for the attacks.
According to three witnesses quoted by Quebec newspaper Le Soleil, the attacker killed his first victim near the Chateau Frontenac Hotel. The man then continued on Rue des Remparts, where the second person was killed, before heading to the Old Port, wounding the other victims.
The suspect was arrested early Sunday after a manhunt through the streets of Old Quebec, Mr Doyon said.
The police received a report about the attacks at around 10.30pm and sent several officers to the scene, including dog handlers, Mr Doyon said.
The suspect was arrested shortly before 1am near the Old Port, he added.
The suspect has been formally identified, but the police have not released his identity.
"It's a man who was dressed medieval. It's a man who carried a sword with him. It's stab wounds - that's all we can tell you at the moment," Mr Doyon said.
The five survivors wounded in the rampage suffered injuries of varying severity, he said. The police have not released the identities or ages of the victims.
The suspect was lying on the ground, barefoot and hypothermic when he was arrested, Le Soleil reported.
The newspaper said he had been planning his attack for a year and a half. - AFP