Police arrest two students – one 'of Moroccan origin' - over the murder of six people shot dead in a Quebec City mosque

Two students including one of 'Moroccan origin' have been arrested for the slaughter of six people at a Quebec mosque which came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban.

Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, and Mohamed Khadir were named by TVA as the two suspects shortly after the attack at Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center at around 8pm on Sunday night.

The gunmen opened fire on worshipers as they prayed, shouting 'Alluhu akbar' as they sprayed the room of men with bullets.

Six men aged between 39 and 60 were killed at the scene and five remain in a critical condition in intensive care at Quebec's Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus. Twelve others had less serious injuries and another 39 escaped unharmed.

Khadir was arrested at the scene but Bissonnette fled in his Mitsubishi. He was arrested 15 miles away later after calling 911 to turn himself in, Le Soleil reports.  Police searched his home in the nearby suburb Cap Rouge overnight. They were seen searching Khadir's apartment on Monday. 

Both of the suspects are students at the city's Université Laval which said it would cooperate with police in 'any way' it can. Neither was previously known to police, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The shooting came as protests erupted across the US in response to President Donald Trump's Muslim immigration ban which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned earlier on Sunday. 

Quebec Police have given no suggested motive for the killings but confirmed it was being treated as an act of terror. They are also looking in to whether a pig's head left outside the mosque last year is connected to Sunday's killings.

Daily Mail