Quebec City mosque shooting victim hailed as hero for trying to disarm gunman

Azzeddine Soufiane's name has cut through the hushed silence of the Quebec City courtroom several times this week, where his killer is awaiting sentencingon six counts of first-degree murderand six counts of attempted murder.

Those who knew Soufianecall him Brother Azzeddineor Mr.Azzeddinein respectful tones.

In the hours following the deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosqueon Jan. 29, 2017, word quickly spread that the cheerful grocery store owner had tried to disarm AlexandreBissonnette.

Surveillance videoplayed at the start of Bissonnette's sentencing hearinglast week showedSoufiane rushing the gunman,nearly managing to knock him down. Bissonnette, however, was able to take out his pistol, and shot Soufiane at close range, repeatedly.

Soufiane died from his injuries.

That courageous act has beenrecounted in every survivor's testimonial throughout thesentencing hearing, which continuesthis week.

"When [Bissonnette]reloaded his weapon, I witnessed Azzeddine's bravery,"Sad Akjour said on Tuesday.

Akjour, who was shot in the shoulder,wasthe second survivor to explain to Quebec Superior Court Justice Franois Huot how his life was turned upside down after the attack.

He described how he had been quietly reading passages fromthe Qur'an when Bissonnettestormedinto the prayer room that evening.

He rememberedseeing Soufiane charging towardBissonnette,letting out a scream, "as if to tell us 'Let's go together.'"

Akjour said herealized he didn't have time to reach Bissonnetteand tried to hide behind a pillar.

He sawBissonnette's reaction as Soufianekept on.

"I saw he was afraid;he even stepped back," Akjour said.

'I saw everything'

Mohamed Khabar was in the middle of the room when Soufiane rushed toward the entrance of the mosque, where Bissonnette was reloading his semi-automatic pistol.

The 43-year-old barber started running behind Soufiane, toward the gunfire.

As they moved closer to the doorway whereBissonnettewas standing,"[Soufiane] started yelling,'Stop, stop!'"Khabar said.

"And all of a sudden, Azzeddine fell."

Khabarsaid he stopped in his tracks when Soufiane was hit by thefirst bullet.

"I wanted to do something, but when you are unarmed" he said, his words trailing off, revealing the helplessness many men present in the mosque that night have described feeling.

'Forgive us'

Sad El-Amari sobbed as he told the court he was the last person to speak with Soufiane that night. They were chatting in the prayer roomseconds before Bissonnette started shooting.

Trying to takecover in asmall alcove at the back of the room, El-Amari turned around and saw his friendfall to the ground.

"I'm speaking to his wife: forgive us for not having been able to help him," El-Amaritold the court, saying he has beenhaunted by guilt since the shooting.

He said when his wife found out there had been an attack that night, she rushed to the mosque to find him.When she was told byfriends Soufiane had died, she imagined the worstfor her husband, who was always by Soufiane's side.

El-Amari said his wife thought: "If Azzeddine is dead, it's certain he was with him;it's certain he is dead."

Before adjourning, Huot tried to comfort the father of four, telling him the instinct to survive would have pushed anyone to react the same way.

"Gestures of the nature of Mr. Soufiane's are larger than us, and exceptional, and that is why we call these people heroes," Huot said.

"That does not mean you should feel any remorse."

'He sacrificed himself'

Hakim Chambaz was not hit by any bullets that night, but he testified that he has felt empty and cold ever since.

Chambaz met Soufiane in 1993, when they were both working with the province's scientific research institute, INRS.

Soufiane, a geologist, was someone who helped anyone in need, Chambaz told the courtroom.

He still has a very clearimageof his friend's last moments.

"Azzeddine did his best to save the other brothers," said Chambaz.

"He sacrificed himself for others."