Montreal, QC — A man previously convicted of supporting al-Qaida has been charged after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass attack in Canada.
Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, 51, is accused of telling a staff member at a Montreal homeless shelter that he intended to launch an attack aimed at killing a large number of people. The incident was immediately reported to Montreal police, who in turn notified the RCMP.
Warsame appeared at the Montreal courthouse by videoconference and has been formally charged with uttering threats.
According to the RCMP, Warsame had previously pleaded guilty in 2009 in Minnesota to providing material support to al-Qaida. He was deported to Canada in 2010 following his conviction.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed whether the threat was credible or connected to a larger plot.