The man who entered a Châteauguay mosque with a knife, sparking a fight that left three people injured, appeared in court Saturday. Several questions remain about the circumstances of the altercation.
Adib Younes, a 24-year-old man, was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The Châteauguay resident seemed to “more or less” understand what was happening when he appeared by videoconference Saturday afternoon at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse, according to Marc-Olivier Chatelois, spokesperson for the Châteauguay Police Department.
The young man was detained and questioned by police after entering the Muslim Cultural Centre of Châteauguay with a knife around 1:40 p.m. on Friday.
Rachid Azmane, administrator of the Muslim Cultural Centre of Châteauguay, said in a telephone interview Saturday that the incident occurred in the basement when people noticed the individual’s strange behaviour. He changed places a few times and they asked him what he had in his pocket.
The person who did this, he never raised his hand or attacked anyone. It was just a precaution. We followed the security measures, before he probably did it. We don’t know what he wanted to do. A normal person doesn’t come with a knife in his pocket.
Rachid Azmane, administrator of the Muslim Cultural Center of Châteauguay
Rachid Azmane added that the man entered the mosque before prayers and attracted the attention of staff, who noticed he was acting “a bit strangely” and became alarmed when they saw he was carrying a knife.
The three men who were injured, all volunteers, suffered their injuries while trying to get hold of the knife, he said, adding that it seemed obvious that the suspect, whom no one knew, “was suffering from something.”
“The police investigation is ongoing and we will see later,” he said.
On Friday, the Chateauguay Police Department said the three victims were in their 50s and suffered minor injuries, with one of them being taken to hospital for hand injuries. He is reportedly known to worshippers at the place of worship.
The suspect was taken to the police station Friday afternoon, but investigators have not provided any details on a possible motive.
According to Mr Azmane, the suspect had no connection with the mosque itself.
He took advantage of his interview with The Canadian Press to appeal to people suffering from a mental health problem, such as depression, not to hesitate to ask for help.
The Muslim Cultural Centre of Châteauguay reopened its doors on Saturday.