A Canadian man who was known to authorities as someone who had been “radicalized,” drove his car into two Canadian soldiers in a strip mall parking lot on Monday, Oct. 20, in what at least some authorities are hypothesizing was an act of terrorism.
The 25 year old man, Martin Rouleau, rammed his car into Canadian soldiers in his home province of Saint-Jean-sur-Rechelieu, which is approximately 24 miles southeast of Montreal.
The strip mall at which the soldiers were attacked contains a Department of National Defence office, according to CJAD Montreal.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were aware of Rouleau, and aware that he had been “radicalized,” according to the RCMP and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Neighbors stated that Rouleau had converted to Islam a year ago, the CBC reported.
After ramming his car into the soldiers, Canadian authorities pursued Rouleau in what turned into a high-speed chase. That pursuit ended after Rouleau’s car flipped over and, as he sought to escape, officers shot him. Rouleau died of his injuries after he was transported to a hospital.
The two soldiers who were hit by Rouleau’s car were injured, one critically. Their names have not been released.
PRIME MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGES ATTACK MAY HAVE BEEN ACT OF TERRORISM
Later in the day of the attack the incident was raised by a member of the House of Commons. Conservative MP Randy Hoback questioned the prime minister about “unconfirmed reports of a possible terror attack” targeting members of the Canadian military.
In response to the question, the prime minister, reading from a piece of paper, merely said that he was “aware of the reports” and that they were troubling.
However, the Prime Minister’s Office later issued a statement in which it was explained that Harper had been briefed on the possible terrorist incident Monday afternoon by the commissioner of the RCMP, the Chief of Defense Staff and the national security adviser.
The statement by the Canadian prime minister acknowledged that authorities were aware that the individual had been “radicalized,” and stated that Canadians “should remain vigilant.”
According to CJAD800 in Montreal, Rouleau identified himself on social media as Ahmad Rouleau. He had many posts over the past year glorifying Islam and claiming to point out the falsity of Christianity.
On the Facebook page allegedly belonging to Rouleau, there appears a post with a quote from a U.S. soldier who served in Iraq, Michael Prysner. Prysner is the founder of the organization March Forward! Prysner and his organization advise current active duty service personnel to resist deployment. The quote from Prysner on Rouleau’s Facebook wall is: “We were told we were fighting terrorists, the real terrorist is me and the real terrorism is this occupation.”
Rouleau also posted many pictures of public figures such as U.S. President Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Clintons, the Pope, former U.S. President George W. Bush, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy with Jews.