Victims identified in deadly Halloween rampage in Quebec City
Posted November 1, 2020 2:22 pm.
Last Updated November 1, 2020 11:24 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL (CITYNEWS) – Quebec City police have identified the two victims of Saturday night’s fatal Halloween sword attack that left another five people injured.
François Duchesne, 56, and Suzanne Clermont, 61, were identified by the coroner’s office as the two individuals killed in an alleged stabbing carried out by a man dressed in “medieval” garb brandishing a katana-like sword.
Police say both victims were residents of Quebec City.
Another five people remain in hospital in non-life-threatening condition.
At a press conference Sunday morning, Quebec City Police Chief Robert Pigeon said the suspect randomly chose victims with the intention of harming as many people as possible.
The attack began near the famous Chateau Frontenac and went on for nearly two-and-a-half hours as police pursued the man on foot.
The suspect was arrested early Sunday morning and is expected to appear in court later in the day.
READ MORE: A timeline of the deadly Halloween-night stabbing in Quebec City
Pigeon says the suspect is a 24-year-old man from the north shore of Montreal with no known links to terrorist groups. There is still no motive given.
“According to our preliminary information nothing indicates that the suspect would have acted for motivations other than personal,” he said.
A police operation is reportedly underway at the suspect’s home in Sainte-Therese, Que.
Condolences poured in today, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying in a tweet that his “heart breaks” for the victims.
–with files from The Canadian Press.
