An attack at a mosque in Canada occurred on Sunday evening; the gunmen shot into a crowd of worshipers, resulting in the death of five people and the wounding of five others.

There were at the very least two gunmen involved in the attack. They were dressed in black. The shooters assaulted the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center in Quebec City. Two young men were identified as suspects and were taken into custody on Monday. The suspects are Alexandre Bissonnette, age 27, and Mohamed el Khadir, in his late 20’s or early 30’s. (Update: Mohamed el Khadir appears to be the person who called 911 and is now being considered a witness rather than a suspect and has been released.)

This attack has shaken Canada, where mass shootings are not a common occurrence. Canada is also seen by many as a place of refuge, a sanctuary where refugees go to escape terrorism and warfare in Muslim-majority nations.

On January 28th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.” The attack occurred a little more than a day after he made that affirmation.

Trudeau made a statement on Monday morning: “It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence. Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear…Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities, and country. Canadian law enforcement agencies will protect the rights of all Canadians, and will make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators of this act and all acts of intolerance.”

The authorities have not yet identified a specific motive for the attack.

The provincial minister of public safety, Martin Coiteux, stated that, “the police systems for dealing with terrorist attacks have been activated…Ensuring the safety of the population is our priority.”