Canada Parliament Gunman Wanted to Go to Middle East to ‘Study Islam’

The gunman who opened fire at Canada's parliament building was identified as Michael Joseph Zehaf Bibeau. Sources also confirmed that he was a "high-risk traveller."

Zehaf Bibeau had a criminal record which included robbery charges in Vancouver in 2011. According to The Canadian Press, Zehaf Bibeau was referred to at least by three names in police records. Zehaf Bibeau was also known as Michael Bibeau Zehaf, Michael Zehaf Bibeau and Michael Bibeau. The Canadian government deemed Zehaf Bibeau as a "high-risk traveller" as well. CTV News reported that the federal government had confiscated Bibeau's passport. Its sources also revealed that the Quebec man, who was killed inside Canada Parliament's Centre Block on Wednesday, was considered to be a "high-risk traveller." However, the information when Zehaf Bibeau's passport was seized by the government was now known.

Police records revealed that Zehaf Bibeau was a petty criminal. He was convicted multiple times for offences like uttering threats during the 2000s. Zehaf Bibeau had to undergo a psychiatric assessment during a conviction. Records also reveal that he had been declared to be fit to stand trial. The 32-year-old apparently had a religious awakening only recently. The Globe And Mail reported that Zehaf Bibeau might be mentally unstable. Zehaf Bibeau's father Bulgasem Zehaf was a businessman. Zehaf apparently fought in Libya in 2011. His mother Susan Bibeau was the deputy chairperson of a division of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board. The couple got divorced when their son was around 17.

According to Zehaf Bibeau's friend Dave Bathurst, the gunman did not seem to have an extremist outlook. However, Bathurst believes that Zehaf Bibeau may have suffered from mental illness. He referred to an incident when Zehaf Bibeau told him that Shaytan (the Arabic word for the devil) was after him. He also said that he would want to go to the Middle East. According to Bathurst, Zehaf Bibeau wanted to go to Libya for studies. Zehaf Bibeau told his friend that his purpose of going to the Middle East was studying Arabic and learning Islam. He said that he did not any "other" purpose of going there. Zehaf Bibeau apparently could not go to the Middle East as federal officials, who wanted to prevent Canadians from joining extremist forces abroad, did not provide him valid travel documents.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au