Suspect in mosque shooting a moderate conservative turned extremist, say friends, classmates

A shy chess-player, a bullied introvert, a moderate conservative turned far-right troll these are the descriptions being offeredof AlexandreBissonnettesince he was accused of perpetratinga deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque.

Bissonnette looked nervous during his brief court appearance on Monday. He didn't say aword andshuffled in his handcuffs;before being escorted out, he was charged with 11 counts of murder and attempted murder.

He could still face more charges as the RCMP examinewhether to addterrorism to the list of offences.

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Police believe the shooter entered theIslamic cultural centre in the Quebec City suburb ofSainte-Foy just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, equipped with a long gun.

The gun jammed, police sources told Radio-Canada, prompting the shooter to leave and return with anine-millimetre handgun.

Bissonnette was arrested later that night, on a bridge heading to led'Orlans, an island outside Quebec City.

In his car, the sources said, officers found anine-millimetre handgun registered toBissonnette. Thatgun had a 15-round capacity.

Identified with far right

Bissonnette grew up in Cap-Rouge, a suburb southwest of Quebec City, where his parents still live. Neighbours remembered him as a "closed-off young man."

Slender and quiet, Bissonnettestuck out for the wrong reasons in high school. "He was treated badly, that's for sure," said Toma Popescu, a classmate between eighthand tenth gradeat Les Compagnons-de-Cartier.

"He didn't look quite the same as the other kids and was very introverted,"Popescu added. "He kept his thought and emotions to himself."

But he came across as intelligent to his peers, and joined the chess club at Laval University, where he studied anthropology and political science.

Bissonnetteappeared to enjoy discussing politics with select classmates at university.Jean-Michel AllardPrus, who took a politics class with Bissonnette, said they often debated with each other on Facebook.

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In these debates,Bissonnetteexpressed fairly mainstream conservative views. A hunter, he opposed gun control and was pro-Israel,but otherwise didn't bring up more divisive issues such as Muslims or immigration.

But that was a year ago.

"I think something happened. Heradicalizeda lot,"Prussaid. "He seemed just a normal right-wing individual."

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AsBissonnettebegan to espouse more radical views, he stopped interacting with his fellowstudents.He took part in at least one informal discussion group, but quickly found its members too moderate and stopped attending.

"He was not interested by our politics meeting because we are conservative and moderate right wing," saidricDebroise, a Laval University student and member of the discussion group.

"He is more far-right or alt-right."

Trump, Le Pen political idols

Debroise describedBissonnette as nicebut anti-social. In their meetings,he said,Bissonnetteoften spoke admiringly of U.S. President Donald Trump and the French far-right politician Marine Le Pen.

Trump enjoysthe support of the alt-right, a loosely defined political movement that includes white nationalists and white supremacists.

The alt-right isknown, too, for its army of online trolls whocirculate racist memes and virulent attacks on perceived opponents.

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Within activist circles in Quebec City,Bissonnette has been consideredan extremisttroll in his own right.

In a Facebook post, a refugee support group said Bissonnette is "known to several activists in Quebec City for his pro-Le Pen and anti-feminist positions."

The group saidBissonnetteis fond of using the term "feminazi" alt-right slang for those who advocate women's rights.

Worked at blood bank

While at university, Bissonnettelived with his twin brother,Mathieu,in an apartment inSainte-Foy, close tothe mosque where Monday'sattack took place.

He also worked in the call centre ofHma-Qubec, theprovince'sblood bank.

A statement from the agency said the organization is "shocked" to learn that he was among their employees.

"As an organization whose primary mission is dedicated to the gift of life, these events have sent a shock wave through the organization."

Bissonnette'sneighbours told Radio-Canada they saw police conduct anextensive search of theBissonnette brothers' apartment in Sainte-Foy.

Officers left with several bags, residents said. Police also searched his parents'home in Cap-Rouge.

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