Quebec City mosque shooting 'loaded with racism,' says Crown expert, but terrorism ruled out

While Alexandre Bissonnette's crime was "loaded with racism,"he did not carry out themass shooting in a Quebec City mosque to promote any kind of ideology, a forensic psychiatrist hired by the Crown said Thursday, on the final day of the killer's sentencing hearing.

Bissonnettepleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder in March, and could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 150 years 25 years for each murder charge.

Dr. Gilles Chamberland met with the 28-year-old Wednesday afternoon, after the court heardfrom three mental health experts called by the defence during the sentencing hearingearlier this week.

Chamberland agreed with most of their findings but took issue with the opinion of forensic psychiatrist Marie-Frdrique Allard, who said Wednesday that Bissonnette was not Islamophobic.

He also cast doubt on the possibility Bissonnette could ever be rehabilitatedand overcome his feelings of anxiety and his desire for revenge.

"He used these people as victims," purely based on racialprejudice, Chamberland said.

The psychiatrist, however, does not believe Bissonnette wanted to a promote a cause or an ideology through his crime.

"Was this crime terrorism? Absolutely not. It was too egotistical," said Chamberland, who also testifiedduring the Luka Rocco Magnotta trial in 2014.

'It was a racist crime,' says Quebec City mosque leader

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Mohamed Labidi, president of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, said he felt vindicated to hear a Crown psychiatrist's confirmation that Alexandre Bissonnette's attack was motivated by racism.

The former president of the mosque where the massacre took place, Mohamed Labidi, said afterward he felt vindicated,hearing Chamberland confirm that Alexandre Bissonnette's attack was motivated by racism.

"It's a relief, and it implies society has work to do," said Labidi, who attended all 12 daysofthe grueling proceeding.

Personality led him to kill

Like his counterparts, Chamberland said Bissonnette was fuelled by a desire to kill several people before committing suicide, to show those who had bullied him in high school that "he was also able to asserthimself."

During their four-hour conversation, Chamberland said Bissonnettetold him that he was "excited" by the idea of being knownas a mass shooter a thought that he said had beengnawing at him sincethe 2014 massacre in Isla Vista, Calif.

This obsession with mass murderers such asElliot Rodger was based on his sense of being connected to people who, like him, were bullied and intimidated in school, Chamberland said.

Given this aspect of his personality, the psychiatrist was critical of his colleagues' assessment that Bissonnette could potentially be released from prison in 25 years, if he were to follow therapy.

He said it is very hard to transform one's personality, which he said usually "iscrystallized during early adulthood."

"It's his personality" that ledhim to carry out the mass shooting,Chamberland told Superior Court Justice Franois Huot.

Manipulating therapy

Bissonnette's lawyersattempted this week to demonstrate the 28-year-old is capable of showing remorse for his actions and should be eligible for parole after 25 years.

All three defence experts, who met Bissonnette on separateoccasions, agreed the killer'simmediate concern was for his own family. But they also concluded that,given the proper treatment, he showed potential for rehabilitation.

Psychologist Marc-Andr Lamontagne said based on scientific formulas used to determine whether a convicted criminal is likely to re-offend,Bissonnette presented a "moderate" threat about one chance inthree.

"Even if the risk was one in a million, it would be too high for me,"Chamberlandtold the court.

Furthermore, he said that Bissonnette's intelligence worked against the correctional system.

While the defence said this intelligence allowed him to engage in long-term therapy, Chamberland said that it could also be used to manipulate parole board officers and therapists.

"He's good at theatre; he repeated it to me on more than one occasion yesterday," Chamberland said, explaining Bissonnettecould learn tricks to figure out the right thing to say in therapyif he were eligible for parole after 25 years.

Decision not before September

Now that both sides have finished presenting their arguments, Huot will have to determine whether Bissonnette'speriods of parole ineligibility will be concurrent or consecutive.

Before adjourning, Huot spoke directly to Bissonnette, telling himthat given the evidence presented to him, it was not out of the question that he couldsend him to prison for 150 years.

"As things stand, this is a possibility," saidHuot.

Time has been set aside in June for adebateon whether consecutive periods of parole ineligibilityare constitutional. Huot said given that, he doesn't expect to be able torender a decision beforeSeptember.

The judge assuredBissonnettethat he was consciousthe delay mightbe hard onhim,butthat itwasinevitable.

Bissonnette's defence lawyer, Charles-Olivier Gosselin, informed Huothe hoped his client could be transferred to a federal prison in the interim.

Gosselin saidconditions are"difficult" at the provincial facility where his clientis now being detained.