According to reports out of the Quebec city of St. Jean sur Richelieu, a man went on a frenzied rampage targeting members of the military after he was heard speaking about the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
CJAD reported the man entered a Department of National Defense office late Monday morning and, prior to exiting, spoke to at least one individual inside about the Islamic extremist network. Upon leaving the military office, reports indicate he got into a vehicle and struck two soldiers, critically injuring one and leaving the other with less severe injuries.
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After driving away from the scene, the man apparently lost control of his vehicle, which flipped several times and came to rest in a ditch. Police caught up with the suspect and fired on him, striking him at least five times. The unidentified man was initially hospitalized in critical condition. Subsequent reports indicate he later died from his injuries.
Local leaders are asking the community to refrain from categorizing the incident as a terror attack until an investigation is complete; however, speculation continues to abound that the motivation behind this hit-and-run was Islamic extremism.
Shortly after the suspect was shot, the matter was discussed before the House of Commons. So far, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has only confirmed that he is “aware of these reports”; and police have been similarly tight-lipped.
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Lt. Guy Lapointe elaborated only as far as to say that “the theory that this is a deliberate act is part of what we’ll be looking at.”