Vigil held at Vancouver mosque to mourn victims of Quebec City shooting

A large crowd gathered at a Vancouver mosque on Monday night to mourn those killed and injured in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque.

Police said a gunman opened fire during prayers at Centre culturel islamique de Quebec mosque on Sunday night, killing six men and injuring 19.

Alexandre Bissonnette, a 27-year-old Laval University student, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Police Chief Adam Palmer attended the vigil at Al Jamia Masjid, the city’s oldest mosque.

“We’re a city of diversity and inclusion,” Robertson said. “We live in relative harmony here and we need to make sure that we do everything we can to speak out against these acts of violence.”

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People stopped by the mosque on West 8th Avenue to drop off flowers and pay their respects to those who lost their lives throughout the day on Monday.

Similar vigils took place in Richmond, Prince George and other communities across the province.

The attack rattled members of B.C.’s Muslim community, who are calling for extra security. RCMP are increasing patrols at several locations across the province.

Daud Ismail, president of the B.C. Muslim Association, is also asking the public to keep their eyes open.

“We are asking the community to be more vigilant, observe, and if they see anything out of the ordinary, then just call police,” he said.

Vancouver police say there is no known threat to the city’s places of worship.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark issued a statement that said, in part:

“As Canadians, we must speak up in the face of rising intolerance and hatred. Those who would seek to divide us through fear prey on silence, but they will fail.”

Al Jamia Masjid Mosque trustee Haroon Khan said Vancouver’s Muslim community refuses to live in fear.

“We have to open our doors even more,” he said. “We have to open our hearts even more. This mosque will never be closed. We will never be intimidated by fear.”

– With files from Tanya Beja and The Canadian Press