Sword-wielding costumed suspect leaves 2 dead, 5 injured in Quebec City attack

The suspect behind a deadly sword attack in Quebec City intended to harm as many people as possible, police said on Sunday hours after the deadly rampage that killed two people and injured five others.

Quebec City Police Chief Robert Pigeon shared some details of the harrowing Halloween night attack at a morning news conference.

Pigeon alleged a man dressed in a medieval costume began swinging a Japanese-style sword at randomly chosen victims before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. The attack went on for nearly 2.5 hours, he said, while police pursued him throughout the city’s downtown core on foot.

The suspect was arrested shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Sunday.

“Last night we were thrust into a night of horror when a 24-year-old man who does not live in Quebec City came here with the clear intention of taking as many victims as possible,” Pigeon said.

The prosecutor’s office says Carl Girouard faces two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder for allegedly carrying out the attack.

Girouard appeared before a judge via video-conference this afternoon and the next hearing in the case is expected to be on Thursday.

The police chief said the suspect is from the north shore of Montreal.

He said the alleged attacker has no known links to terrorist groups and that police believe his motivations appear to be personal in nature.

Two victims identified

The coroner confirmed the identities of two people killed during a deadly attack as 56-year-old Francois Duchesne and 61-year-old Suzanne Clermont, both of Quebec City.

Pigeon said some of those injured suffered lacerations he described as serious, but said no one is in life-threatening condition.

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.

“It was really erratic, very abnormal for the neighbourhood,” said Carlos Godoy, who lives in the area, as police K-9 units searched his backyard during the hunt for the suspect.

“It’s a full moon, it’s October 31st. It’s Halloween, and it’s a lockdown weekend. No one should be out on the streets,” Godoy said. “And I’m in an extremely quiet neighbourhood because there are no tourists nowadays.”