Man charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder in Quebec City sword attack

QUEBEC — The Quebec crown prosecutor’s office says a 24-year-old man has been charged in relation to a sword attack in Quebec City late Saturday that killed two people and injured five others.

The prosecutor’s office says Carl Girouard faces two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.

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Girouard appeared before a judge via video-conference this afternoon, with another hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Quebec City Police chief Robert Pigeon said earlier in the day that a suspect dressed in medieval” garb had swung a katana-like sword at randomly chosen victims during an attack that went on for nearly 2.5 hours.

Police identified the two Quebec City residents who died in the attack as 56-year-old Francois Duchesne and 61-year-old Suzanne Clermont.

Neighbours are holding impromptu vigils in Quebec City to honour the victims, while tributes have poured in from across Canada in support of their families and loved ones.

Condolences poured in on Sunday morning for the victims and their families, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying in a tweet that his “heart breaks” for them.

Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole also said he and his wife were saddened to hear about the events and offered their condolences to the victims and those who were injured, as well as their families.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault extended his condolences to the victims’ families, saying in an early-morning tweet that the entire province had woken up after a “night of horror.”

“I don’t have the words to describe such a tragedy,” Legault said.

During the news conference on Sunday morning, Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume said the attack has shaken the city, which is still recovering from a deadly shooting at a local mosque in 2017.

“We’re going through a tough situation,” Labeaume said.

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