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Crown shows photo evidence in Quebec City mosque shooting sentencing hearing

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Quebec mosque shooting sentencing arguments continue
WATCH: A Quebec City courtroom saw more grizzly evidence from Crown attorneys during the second day of sentencing arguments for Alexandre Bissonnette. As Global's Raquel Fletcher reports, the 28-year-old gunman pleaded guilty to six counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder in connection with the deadly Quebec City mosque attack – Apr 12, 2018

A Quebec City courtroom was subject to more grizzly evidence from Crown attorneys Thursday during the second day of sentencing arguments for Alexandre Bissonnette.

READ MORE: Quebec City court views video of mosque shooting

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty last month to the Quebec City mosque shooting and killing six people, while injuring 19 others.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Crown showed surveillance video, which is under a broadcast ban, that captured the horrific events of that night.

READ MORE: Accused in Quebec City mosque shooting pleads guilty

On Thursday, Crown prosecutor François Godin presented the judge with photographic evidence gathered by police the day after the shooting.

These included photos of the crime scene both inside and outside the mosque.

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Police recovered a .223 semi-automatic long gun with a removable magazine containing 28 bullets (the legal limit for a magazine for a semi-automatic firearm in Canada is five bullets) outside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre.

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Godin presented photos that showed the interior of the mosque littered with bullet casings from a 9-millimetre Glock handgun.

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Police also recovered two empty cartridge clips for this firearm.

Godin then indicated on a blueprint of the mosque where Abdelkrim Hassane and Boubaker Thabti died and where Aymen Derbali, who was paralyzed by the gunshots he received, was found by emergency workers.

READ MORE:  Quebec City mosque shooting anniversary leads to discussion about reconciliation

Godin explained with the aid of photographs how a bullet pierced a bathroom door, as well as a back wall, where it ricocheted off a picture frame and hit a florescent light fixture.

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He also presented a photo of a back room where many people hid during the shooting and explained that there was not enough space for everyone.

Godin proceeded to read the autopsy reports of the victims, but the court was adjourned early for lunch because Bissonnette, who was present in court, wasn’t feeling well.

When court reconvened Thursday afternoon, prosecutors played a 50 minute audio recording of a call to 9-1-1 Bissonnette made 14 minutes after the shooting.

“It was me at the mosque earlier,” Bissonnette said when the operator answered.

“Pardon me?” The operator asked.

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“I said it was me who was at the mosque earlier.”

“Are you the shooter?”

“Yes,” Bissonnette replied.

Bissonnette sounds upset on the recording. Throughout, he breaks down crying. Several times he threatens to get out of his car, retrieve a handgun from the back seat and shoot himself.

The operator convinces him to stay in his vehicle and keep his free hand on the steering wheel. He asks several times if anyone is hurt.

After 30 minutes, he asks the operator why it’s taking so long to for police to arrive, repeating that he’s “sick of this.”

“It won’t be long…they want to make sure nothing bad happens,” the operator replies.

“I’ve never hurt anyone. Really? Come on,” Bissonnette says. “That I can tell you.”

In a video of the police interrogation, Bissonnette appears surprised to hear of the deaths. “You told me there were six murders? That can’t be true,” he says.

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