(New York, NY) – On January 29, 2017, suspected right-wing extremist Alexandre Bissonnette opened fire inside the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City, Canada, during Sunday evening prayers, killing six people and wounding 19 others. Bissonnette was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder and is scheduled to appear in court in March.
While Bissonnette was not found to be an official member of any right-wing organization, he was known for posting far-right, nationalist, anti-refugee, and anti-feminist views on social media. A December 2017 report by Public Safety Canada listed right-wing extremism as a “growing concern,” warning that online activities could be a precursor to potential violence.
To view the CEP report, Canada: Extremism and Counter-Extremism, please click here.