The Halloween bloody murders shook Canada, with the suspect charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder and 5 counts of attempted murder

Source: Global Times

On the eve of Halloween, a bizarre murder occurred near a famous historical attraction in Quebec City, Canada: a man wearing medieval costume and holding a sword committed suicide in the street, killing 2 and injuring 5. According to local media reports, the 24-year-old suspect has been arrested in the early morning of the 1st, and he has not made any resistance. The suspect has no criminal record, but the mayor of Quebec City hinted on the 1st that the suspect has a mental illness, the same as the suspect in the 2017 mosque shooting in the city. Local police said their preliminary information indicated that the suspect's motive was personal, not to launch a terrorist attack.

According to Canadian television reported on the 1st, the attack occurred on October 31, which was the eve of Halloween. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants and bars in Quebec have closed their doors, and halloween parties that have been held in previous years have been cancelled. At about 10:30 p.m. that night, the police received a call from the police saying that a man was carrying a sword. Police found the victims at at least four locations, including near quebec city landmark Fernenac Castle Hotel and near the Quebec National Assembly.

Police reminded local residents to stay home, and they were hunting down a man in medieval costume with a sword. After that, dozens of police officers conducted a two-hour carpet search to arrest the suspect at about 1 a.m. on the 1st in quebec City's Old Port district. CNN said on the 1st that the suspect wore a black mask when he was arrested, lying on the ground, barefoot, and did not make any resistance. He was then taken to the hospital for a physical examination and psychiatric assessment.

Quebec City Police Chief Pigayn said the identity of the suspect had been identified, that he was from the Montreal suburbs and that police were searching his car and residence. Police have asked any possible witnesses to contact them. According to quebec local media "The Sun" quoted 3 witnesses on the 1st, the assailant first killed the first person near the Frontenac Castle Hotel, leaving a large amount of blood at the scene. He then walked along the city wall, killing a second man on the way and then stabbing the other victims in the old harbor area. Quebec resident Karin Lacost recalled that when she was planning to go shopping at a convenience store, she saw several armed police officers walking by in bulletproof vests. She told the media, "They told me to run home because someone was wandering around and he killed someone." I was really frightened! Resident Les Cabot said, "It's a close-knit community where we all know each other." What happened was shocking, but we're glad it's over. ”

Pigayn said at a press conference on the 1st that the suspect's crime was premeditated, but the choice of the victim was random, and its "intention is to cause the greatest possible harm." He said police believe the suspects were motivated by personal reasons and that "so far, he has not been linked to any terrorist organization." "However, the counter-terrorism team has stepped in to investigate. Bigaine also revealed that the suspect threatened violence when he went to the doctor 5 years ago, but did not carry it out, "we did not find his criminal record in the database, nor did we find any information about his motives." At present, the police are still investigating the suspect's motives.

On the afternoon of the 1st local time, the suspect appeared in court for the first time through video and was charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder and 5 counts of attempted murder. "We are going through tough times." Quebec City Mayor Regis La Bomme said at a press conference on the 1st, "This tragedy has increased the mental burden we have borne due to the new crown epidemic, and we will take all necessary measures to deal with the psychological impact of the tragedy." He also said the attack was "like a resurgence of a bad scene from 2017," when a gunman killed six people at a mosque in the city. As with the shooting, the knife attack was an isolated incident, la Bomme said, and Quebec City remains one of the safest cities in the world. Still, La Bomei suggested that mental health issues appeared to be the root cause of the suspect's crime, calling on Canada to debate how to deal with mental illness. On the 1st, the Quebec Parliament building lowered its flags to half-mast to mourn the victims of the tragedy. Quebec Governor François Legotte and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both tweeted their condolences to the families of the deceased.

At the same time as the death in Quebec, two churches in Ontario, Canada, were burned down. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on the 1st, the arson incident occurred in the early morning of the 1st, and a fire broke out in two churches in southwestern Ontario that were close to each other. A local police spokesman said: "We are in the initial stages of our investigation and are therefore considering all possibilities, but it is obviously very suspicious that the two churches in close proximity to each other caught fire almost at the same time. "Police have not ruled out a deliberate arson to the church.