Quebec judge unseals some search warrants, documents in mosque shooting case

A Quebec Court judge has removed a seal on some of the search warrants and other documents in the case of the accused Quebec City mosque shooter Alexandre Bissonnette.

The 27-year-old is facing six first-degree murder charges in connection to the deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque in January. Bissonnette is also facing six attempted murder charges.

The media will be able to publish several excerpts of the documents, which include 10 police search warrants.

"Most of the information will be accessible to the public and the media," Judge Alain Morand said.

• Crown charges Quebec City mosque shooter with attempted murder of attack witnesses

Following an initial court order, vast portions of the documents were redacted.

Electronic equipment was searched, including three Apple laptops, an Acer computer, four iPads, two iPods and a cell phone.

The document also included the names of some witnesses.

Case 'without precedent'

Other documents can be made public within 10 days.

Journalists will have to post a warning on each of their reports going forward, the judge ruled.

The case "is without precedent," Morand said, and "has received never-before-seen media attention."

"[It] brings up sensitive topics that are at the heart of social and political news, like mass killings, immigration, Islamophobia, racism, intolerance and the rise of the extreme right," the judge said.

Bissonnette has waived his right to a preliminary inquiry and will go directly to trial at a date to be determined in December.