Canadian gunman said ‘Devil was after him’ and he wanted to go to Syria

Details are beginning to emerge from the deadly shooting of a Canadian soldier at an Ottawa war memorial. Canadian officials have identified the gunman as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau who was shot after running through Canada’s parliament and has been described as a misfit and perhaps mentally ill, according to police, friends and family. Dave Bathurst, a friend of Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau, told The Globe and Mail he had met him at a mosque in British Columbia and said Zehaf-Bibeau did not appear to be an extremist, but was “erratic” and exhibited strange behaviour.

We were having a conversation in a kitchen, and I don’t know how he worded it: He said the devil is after him. I think he must have been mentally ill.

Dave Bathurst, friend of Zehaf-Bibeau

Police officials revealed how he had a passport application delayed over extremism concerns. He was not among 90 high-risk travellers being monitored by authorities, but was seeking a passport, police said in a news conference. His mother told police after the killing that he wanted to travel to Syria. Police were asked to carry out background checks when he applied for the passport, but he had not been placed under surveillance. Zehaf-Bibeau was Canadian, but may have also had dual Libyan citizenship, the news conference was told. Delays in his passport application may have formed part of his motivation for the attack in Ottawa, according to police.

The passport was part of his motivation. His application was not rejected. His passport was not revoked. He was waiting to get it and there was an investigation going on.

Bob Paulson, commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP

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