Quebec City mosque shooting
The Quebec City mosque shooting (French: Attentat de la grande mosquée de Québec) was an attack by a single gunman on the evening of January 29, 2017, at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, a mosque in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City, Canada. Six worshippers were killed and five others seriously injured after evening prayers when the gunman entered the prayer hall shortly before 8:00 pm and opened fire for about two minutes with a 9mm Glock pistol. Approximately 40 people were reported present at the time of the shooting.
| Quebec City mosque shooting | |
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Mosque Quebec City mosque shooting (Quebec City) Quebec City mosque shooting (Quebec) Quebec City mosque shooting (Canada) | |
| Location | Sainte-Foy, Quebec City, Canada |
| Coordinates | 46°46′41″N 71°18′19″W |
| Date | January 29, 2017 7:55 p.m. (EST) |
| Target | Muslim worshippers at a mosque |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, domestic terrorism, hate crime |
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| Deaths | 6 |
| Injured | 19 (5 by gunfire) |
| Perpetrator | Alexandre Bissonnette |
| Motive | Islamophobia, xenophobia |
| Verdict | Pleaded guilty
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| Sentence | Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years |
| Convictions | 6 counts of first-degree murder and 19 counts of attempted murder |
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| Terrorism |
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The perpetrator, 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder. On February 8, 2019, Bissonnette was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 40 years. Upon appeal, the Court of Appeal of Quebec found 40 years without parole to be unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment, adjusting the sentence to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Quebec prosecutors sought to reinstate the original sentence with an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The decision was upheld on May 27, 2022, meaning Bissonnette will be eligible for parole in 2042.
The shooting prompted widespread discussion of Islamophobia, racism, and right-wing terrorism in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the shooting a terrorist attack, but Bissonnette was not charged with terrorism provision of the Criminal Code. The decision to not charge Bisonette with terrorism was criticized by Canadian Muslim groups. On the fourth anniversary of the attack, the Trudeau government announced plans to commemorate the day of the attack as The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec Mosque Attack and of Action Against Islamophobia.