Woman, 54, dead after armed attack at Quebec shopping mall; suspect arrested

Quebec police say a woman is dead and a man is in custody after an armed attack Wednesday morning inside a shopping mall east of Montreal.

The Galeries St-Hyacinthe mall on Laframboise Boulevard was evacuated following the attack around 10 a.m. local time, which left a 54-year-old woman seriously injured.

The woman was taken to hospital after being attacked by a man in an unknown way and later was pronounced dead, according to police.

The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which prompted a police chase that involved officers from Longueuil Police and the Régie Intermunicipale de police Richelieu-Saint-Laurent, said Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a spokesperson for the Surete du Quebec (SQ).

Police stopped the vehicle near Edward Street in Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur, in the Montérégie region, about 50 kilometres south of Montreal and 75 kilometres southwest of the attack site. Police say the suspect is a 43-year-old man from Montreal.

The suspect is expected to be questioned by police Wednesday afternoon.

Police did not release any information on whether there is a relationship between the victim and the suspect.