The Atlantic

Why Did This Happen in Canada?

The context of the Quebec shooting
Source: Mathieu Belanger / Reuters

At around 7:50 pm on Sunday evening, police received several emergency calls from the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec, a mosque and cultural center in Quebec City. They arrived to a scene of carnage: Six Muslim men, including a halal butcher, a university professor, and a government worker, had been shot and killed by a gunman. Nineteen others were injured. Of the five who were sent to the hospital, four remain, two in critical condition. The attack, one of the worst acts of violence against Muslims in Canadian history, shocked a nation that prides itself on being a paragon of multicultural inclusion. “We are a country of diversity,” the Syrian Assembly of Manitoba’s Tarek. “For something like that to happen here, it's very sad.”

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic17 min read
How America Became Addicted to Therapy
A few months ago, as I was absent-mindedly mending a pillow, I thought, I should quit therapy. Then I quickly suppressed the heresy. Among many people I know, therapy is like regular exercise or taking vitamin D: something a sensible person does rout
The Atlantic3 min readAmerican Government
The Strongest Case Against Donald Trump
If Donald Trump beats Nikki Haley on Saturday in her home state of South Carolina, where he leads in the polls, he’s a cinch to win the GOP nomination. And if he wins the GOP nomination, he has a very good shot at winning the presidency. So it’s wort

Related Books & Audiobooks