
Suspected gunman Alexandre Bissonnette, accused of killing six Muslims at prayer, may have visited the mosque 72 hours before to assess how to carry out the massacre and was confronted by a man he would later kill.

A worshiper at the mosque has told how he is convinced that a man he spoke to on Thursday night last week was Bissonnette - the man accused of the mass murder on Sunday at the Quebec Islamic center.

Lhossine El Manoug told CBC News that he had spoken at some length with a young man, who had said to him: 'J'aime Allah' - I love Allah.

El Manoug said he had a five-minute conversation with a man who he remembered as looking identical to pictures of the alleged killer published after his arrest.

And the alleged murdered may also have spoken to one of his victims, Azzedine Soufaine, who DailyMail.com can disclose jumped on the gunman to try to save his fellow worshipers.

Soufaine, a father of five, told El Manoug that the man he was speaking to was 'not interested' - because he had previously spoken to him.

The man thought to be Bissonnette loitered near the doorway and talked about liking kebabs and asked how to get a bus to Montreal in the course of his conversation with El Manoug. 'I told him we were talking about religion, not food,' he said.

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The first pictures have emerged from inside the Quebec mosque where six worshipers were gunned down in a 'terrorist attack on Muslims'

Scene of massacre: The gunman shot into this space where a dozen men were already fallen and kept firing despite some of his victims already being dead

Crime scene: Pictures have now emerged showing the interior of the building in the aftermath of the shooting. Blood was found on steps inside the building

The first images have emerged from inside the Quebec City mosque showing blood stains on the carpets and walls

Impact: The nook where Bissonnette shot as many as a dozen of his victims shows how bullets slammed into the wall

Alexandre Bissonnette was seen arriving at a Quebec City courthouse on Monday chared with six counts of first degree murder and five of attempted murder after allegedly opening fire on a mosque the night before

(L-R) Hero Azzedine Soufiane and Khaled Belkacemi were killed as they attended evening prayers at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center on Sunday night

(L-R) Boubaker Thabti and Abdelkrim Hassen, a married father-of-three, also died in the horrific shooting

The mosque's concierge Ibrahima Barry (left), 39, and his cousin Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, (right) both of Guinea, were also killed

El Manoug spoke to police on Monday about his belief he had seen Bissonnette and added: 'I'm sure, 100 per cent.'

The possibility that he cased his target came as details emerged of how the cowardly gunman who unleashed terror onto a mosque in a bloody shooting spree pumped bullets into a pile of a dozen men who he cornered after they fell onto each other.

The full devastation inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center began to emerge as mosque elders opened its doors.

They decided to reveal the horror of the bloodbath in full to emphasize the savagery of the attack which occurred as innocent Muslims ended their prayers.

Professor Ahmed Aelrefai showed DailyMail.com a tiny alcove at the front of the prayer room where around a dozen men fell onto each other while trying to escape the gunman, believed to have used an AK-47 rifle.

The walls of the area were riddled with bullet holes and blood spattered the carpet.

He also revealed a pillar nearby where his hero friend Azzedine Soufiane had hidden before rushing the gunman.

Today a chair covered the spot where Soufiane, 57, fell and was then shot in the head. A congealed blood stain marked the place.

Another mosque member Yasmina Hadgsrar screamed as she entered the room and was comforted by friends.

She said: 'I have seen the wives and the mothers of these men. What do you say to the children who are now fatherless? Please don't forget them.

'Most were born here and we try and teach them about Islam, that we shouldn't be angry and only want peace.

'My "brother" Azzedine Soufiane was shot dead. I will always remember him because he was always smiling, smiling, smiling. But I am not angry… just sad.'

Aelrefai added: 'We wanted people to see what terrible things happened inside our scared prayer room. We have had some criticism from people asking why we did this.

'But we have nothing to hide. We want people to see how sad we are and what had happened. We pray that nothing like this happens again.'

The funerals are expected to take place on Thursday. A fund raising set up to help pay the burial costs has passed the $250,000 target within 48 hours of being set up.

The mass shooting, which was rare for Canada and which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned as terrorism, prompted an outpouring of support for the mosque and for Canada's one million Muslims in the country of about 35 million

Pictures show blood on the walls and what looks like holes from gun shots near the entrance to the mosque

Police nhave declined to discuss a motive for the shooting, but friends and online acquaintances told Canadian media that Bissonnette had expressed anti-immigration sentiments, especially toward Muslim refugees

Those injured during the shooting mainly had gunshots to the abdomen, but also to the neck, shoulders and legs. Doctors removed an average of three to six bullets per shooting victim, said surgeon Julien Clement

Blood could be seen in the carpets at the mosque as police continued to examine the scene of the shooting last night

Blood could be seen on the ground in the storage room at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center

Sofiane's heroism was also detailed with an account of how, as others fled and some were felled by the assassin and were left dying or wounded on the green prayer carpet, her took cover behind a narrow column .

As the killer fired indiscriminately with a rifle at worshipers who had just finished their 7.30pm 'Isha' prayers, Soufiane heroically leaped from behind his hiding place and onto the gunman's back.

But after a brief struggle, the murderer turned the gun on him, shooting him once in the head.

The information was relayed to mosque elder Aelrefai by survivors. Police have released little information on how the massacre was carried out.

The engineering lecturer, 48, who teaches at the same university which the gunman studied at, had left the prayer room 15 minutes earlier.

He said: 'If he had come to the room at 7.40 to 7.45pm, there would have been hundreds of people there and the massacre would have been even worse. There would have been more brothers there.

'The women pray upstairs on the second floor and he might have found them.'

It was reported that Bissonnette had lived in an apartment block close to the center for around six months in order to study the comings and goings and plan his attack.

But Aelrefai said the evening prayers routinely lasted for between 10 and 15 minutes and began at 7.30pm.

The killer began his shooting spree around 8pm on Sunday after most of his intended victims had completed their prayers and left.

Aelrefai said it had been reported that the gunman had shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great).

But in fact that was wrong; he said it had been uttered by one of the victims before he was shot.

The gunman managed to shoot 17 people, three of whom remain in a critical condition in hospital. One of the less seriously injured was shot in the leg and is expected to be released soon.

Mourning: Flowers have been left outside the mosque, as well as signs asking for tolerance and protesting racism

Remembered: The victims of the massacre are being commemorated by locals who have left flowers and condemnations of hatred

As the gunman fled, worshiper Mohamed Belkhadir tried to help victims after he had telephoned police and ambulances on 911.

He gave first aid to a friend, then was initially detained as a suspect, but released as an innocent witness later.

Islamic funerals are normally held within hours or a day, but the six bodies have been ferried to Montreal for autopsies and burial details have yet to be confirmed.

A GoFundMe page set up to raise $250,000 for the services has raised more than $200,000 within 24 hours of being introduced.

The six victims were identified as Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, Khaled Belkacemi, 60, Aboubaker Thabti, 44, Ibrahima Barry, 39 and Soufiane.

A card left outside the hero butcher's store read: 'You are here. Peace. Love. Tolerance. For Mr. Soufiane and family.'

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said the shootings were a 'despicable act.' He added: 'This was a group of innocents targeted for practising their faith. Make no mistake this was a terrorist attack.

' It was an attack on our most intrinsic and cherished values as Canadians — values of openness, diversity and freedom of religion.'

Meanwhile the first pictures have emerged from inside the Quebec mosque in the aftermath of the gun rampage, allegedly committed by Bissonette.

The 27-year-old 'loner' student was described by classmates as a pro-Trump loner who did not fit in well at Laval University where is studying anthropology and political sciences. But neighbors of the family home in the affluent Quebec suburb of Cap Rouge were stunned to learn Bissonnette, described as a 'typical boy-next-door', was being accused of the shooting.

Pictures have now emerged showing the interior of the building in the aftermath of the shooting with blood on the stains on the wall and damage from the gunfire.

Bissonnette fled the scene in his Mitsubishi but called 911 himself later to turn himself in, local media reported. His car was spotted on the side of the road with a police vehicle behind it on Sunday night

Bissonnette is a student at Laval University. A friend of Bissonnette's said he was pro-Trump and conservative but did not think he was capable of violence

The 27-year-old was dressed in a white prison jumpsuit and sneakers and appeared to be handcuffed as he made his way inside the courthouse

Alexandre Bissonnette's house in Quebec City, Canada, (pictured) was searched by police after the shooting

Bissonnette is suspected of carrying out the Quebec City mosque massacre alone

The suspected terrorist was arrested on Sunday night after phoning police himself from his Mitsubishi where investigators allegedly found two rifles and an AK-47.

Bissonnette was charged with six counts of murder, five of attempted murder and is likely to have more charges brought against him, police said on Monday. He made a brief court appearance, wearing a white prisoner jump suit, shackled hands and feet, where he did not enter a plea.

'The inquiry is ongoing to determine the motives,' said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Martin Plante.

It has also emerged that a father-of-four is among those injured in the shooting rampage.

Taxi driver Saïd El-Amari, 38, is said to be in a critical condition at the Enfant-Jésus hospital.

His brother-in-law, Hassan Dardari, told Le Journal de Quebec: 'There are other operations to come. He is in a critical state.'

At a press conference on Monday afternoon, officials from the Gendarmerie royale du Canada confirmed the suspect had been charged with six counts of murder.

Searches are ongoing at the suspect's home and at the mosque, they said. It's likely he will have more charges, specifically under the terrorism act, brought against him.

Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the attack which was is being treated as an act of terror.

A source later told Reuters police were looking at Bissonnette as a 'lone wolf'.

Students described him to DailyMail.com as a pro-Trump loner but a timid man who didn't seem capable of committing an act of terror.

Crime scene: Two people were initially arrested for the attack at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center on Sunday night. Police continued working at the mosque late into the night (above)

A police officer stood guard at the men's entrance to the mosque, one of the largest in Quebec, late on Sunday night as forensic investigations continued

Fellow students said Bissonnette didn't 'fit in well' at the university where he is studying political sciences and anthropology

His wife added: Alexandre has lived here all his life. He is very sweet. I remember him as a boy when he had a paddle car and would ride it outside his house.

'I can't believe he could have done something like that. I am in shock.'

Police are speaking to Bissonnette's parents, his father Raymond - a retired government employee who he addressed as 'Papa' - and his mother Manon, but insisted they were not suspects in the case.

A police officer at the Bissonnette house told DailyMail.com: ' We are just beginning the investigation and there a lot of questions. But in my experience of these cases the parents do not know anything before.

'And they are not suspects at all here. They are victims themselves.'

Cadets Canada also revealed that Bissonnette was a member between 2002 and 2004, as they extended their 'deepest condolences to all those affected by this terrible tragedy.'

The grandson of a decorated World War II veteran, Bissonnette had posted a photo of himself on his Facebook page as a boy dressed as an army cadet, a military leadership program for Canadian youths.

Laval University's rector said he would would assist authorities in any way he could but has not yet confirmed Bissonnette's enrollment. He was not known to police before Sunday night's atrocity.

'Make no mistake, this was a terrorist attack': Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave an emotional speech in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill on Monday

A large police presence remained at the mosque on Sunday as investigators continued to work inside and around the city

Vigils and memorials were held all over Canada after the terrorist attack on Sunday (pictured people at a vigil at the Grand Parade in Halifax, Nova Scotia)

People gather around the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill during a vigil following a deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque, in Ottawa, Ontario

Survivors: Among those pictured leaving the mosque after the attack on Sunday evening were young boys

People gathered on mounds of snow outside the mosque as police taped off the scene on Sunday night

The mosque's vice president Mohamed Labidi choked back tears as he admitted security had been a 'major' concern for staff

The mosque was attacked at around 8pm Sunday evening while around 50 people prayed inside

'Guinean representatives in Canada are actively engaged in meeting the families of our compatriots and expressing the support of the nation as a whole.'

Father-of-two Mamadou Barry was a technician at Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, and lived in the same apartment building in Sainte-Foy as Ibrahima, a father-of-four, who worked at Quebec's health insurance board.

Ibrahima, whose wife is believed to be in poor health, helped support his family both home and abroad.

The pair were said to be very close, more like brothers than cousins, according to their friend Moussa Sangare.

'They were so kind. They worked and practiced their faith,' he said, adding that the community can't make sense of their deaths,' he told CP24. 'They were people who were well integrated in Quebec. They had good work, they took care of their kids and their family.'

Sangare said he spent Saturday morning with the Barrys in the same mosque where the shooting occurred where they read the Qur'an with their children. The cousins leave behind their children.

Hassen, which has also been spelled as Hassane, was born in Algeria, studied computer engineering, and had worked in Paris and Montreal before moving to Quebec City, according to MontralMuslims.

'He was a very peaceful, sensitive man. If he saw two people in a fistfight, he'd walk away,' his co-worker, Abderrezak Redouane said.

Reuters is also reporting that Ahmed Youness, a 21-year-old student, was killed in the shooting although this report has not been verified.

Mohamed Oudghiri normally attends prayers but missed Sunday's prayers. He told journalists: 'We are not safe here'

'Based on the conversations that I had with him during the American presidential campaign, it's true he is pro-Trump,' the student, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

He added that he Bissonnette had 'never demonstrated' a violent side but that he didn't 'fit in' among peers.

'Yes, he was conservative in the political sense but despite the profound differences between us, he never showed or suggested that political violence or terrorism was something he was capable of.

'He didn't fit in well at university.'

One Facebook group dedicated to welcoming refugees in the Quebec City area claimed that Bissonnette was well known in the area for his 'pro-Le Pen and anti-feminist positions at Laval University and on social networks,' wrote the Bienvenue aux réfugié.es - Ville de Québec Facebook group.

A pig's head was left outside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center in June. Police are investigating whether it is connected to the shooting

He is said to have acted like a 'troll' and would attack women's rights.

A Facebook page reportedly belonging to Bissonnette, which has since been taken down, revealed support for far right ideologies, including that of Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front.

For Le Pen and her supporters, 'massive migration,' notably from Muslim North Africa, is supplanting French civilization and is at the root of many France's modern woes. 'On est chez nous' ('We're in our land') is a mantra at the rallies of her party, the National Front. Her views have won the endorsement from white supremacists.

Other 'likes' included Israeli Defense Forces, Donald Trump, and outspoken critics of Islam Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

Yet neighbors paint a very different picture of the suspect, describing him as the 'perfect boy-next-door', who loved his family, sports and would always remember to say hello.

Alain Dufour, a financier who retired last week, and has lived next door to Bissonnette's family home since the alleged shooter was a child, said: ' Alexandre is a very nice, friendly young man. He and his brother have been brought up very closely and carefully by his parents. They are all very close.

'Alexandre has never given anybody any trouble in this area and is the perfect boy next door.

'He is friendly and always says hello. I didn't know that their son had a gun and never imagined he could kill innocent people like that.

'My wife Huguette and I are very upset about those people who were killed. Very sad. '

A pig's head was left at the mosque last year during the holy month of Ramadan in another heinous attack.

Like France, Quebec has struggled at times to reconcile its secular identity with a rising Muslim population, many of them North African emigrants.

Incidents of Islamophobia have increased in Quebec in recent years. In 2013, police investigated after a mosque in the Saguenay region of Quebec was splattered with what was believed to be pig blood.

In the neighboring province of Ontario, a mosque was set on fire in 2015, a day after an attack by gunmen and suicide bombers in Paris.