The 28-year-old Quebec City man charged with murder and attempted murder in the shooting at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre last year has pleaded not guilty.

Alexandre Bissonnette was charged with a total of 12 offences in the shooting that left six dead and five critically injured.

He was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder with five charges related to people who were critically wounded. One of the attempted murder charges collectively includes 35 people — 31 men and four children — who witnessed the shooting.

Bissonnette was present in a Quebec City courtroom this morning as Justice François Huot read out each of the charges. After each, he replied "not guilty."

Heightened security

Security to enter the courtroom was tight — anyone wanting to watch the proceedings must pass through a metal detector. Those watching the proceedings were also asked to present government identification.

The widow of one of the victims, surrounded by a group of friends, was among those who showed up at the courthouse for the first day of the proceedings. Several of the women wept as Bissonnette entered his plea.

The founders of the mosque were also present.

This pre-trial portion of the proceedings will determine what evidence the jury will hear. Any evidence presented during this portion is covered by a publication ban, a routine step taken to ensure no prejudicial information is heard by potential jurors.

The trial is expected to last two months and jury selection is scheduled to start next week. The judge in the case asked for 600 potential jury members to be summoned, three times as many as routinely requested for a trial in Quebec City.