26 March 2018•Update: 27 March 2018
By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada
The suspect in the murders of worshippers at a Quebec City mosque entered a plea Monday of not guilty to all charges.
Alexandre Bissonnette, 28, faces 12 charges, including six of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of six men, and six of attempted murder.
One of the attempted murder charges covers the other 35 people who were at the mosque the night of the shootings.
Bissonnette appeared in a Quebec City courtroom Monday and as the charges were read aloud, he answered “not guilty” to each count relating to the attack Jan. 29, 2017.
Three days have been set aside for discussion of pre-trial motions, where the prosecution and defence debate issues in front of judge Francois Huot, including what will be admissible evidence for the jury to hear.
Huot approved a publication ban on the motions, which is routine until a jury hears the evidence.
The case will go to trial in about two months and jury selection begins April 3.
The judge ordered 600 people summoned as potential jurors.
