Worshipper says he talked to alleged gunman at mosque days before the attack

A member of the Quebec City mosque where six people were shot to death last Sunday says he metthe alleged shooterat the mosque three days before the attack.

Lhoussine El Manougtold CBC News the manwas sitting in the mosque's foyer on Thursday evening,after prayers finished.

• Complete coverage of the Quebec City mosque attack

He said he spoke with the young man, originally believing he was interested in learning about Islam.

"I said, 'Salaam,'" said El Manoug. "He answered me, 'Salut.'"

"He said, 'J'aime Allah[I love Allah],'" El Manougsaid.

Thinking the young man wanted to know more about his faith, El Manougcontinued to speak to him.

"I was trying to explain to him that Allah, it's the same God as the Jews and the Christians."

He said, "J'aime Allah [I love Allah]."- Lhoussine El Manoug, describing a conversation he said he hadwith the alleged shooter days before the attack.

At that moment, he said, another member of the mosque, Azzedine Soufiane, said to him on his way out the door, "This guy is not interested."

El Manoug said the visitorhad started talking about how much he loved kebabs.

"I told him we were talking about religion, not food."

El Manoug said the manasked for money to take the busto Montreal.

"There's nobus that goes to Montreal at this time in the evening," El Manoug said. "So I invited him to continue the discussion outside the mosque."

He said the man told him it was too cold to talk outside, but theyleft the mosque together, continuing theirdiscussion outside.

El Manoug said theconversation lastedno more than five minutes before the man walked away.

'This person is the oneI met'

At the time, ElManougsaid, he had no reason tothink the man was a threat.

The shooting happened at the same time in the evening, three days later.

Among the six dead was Soufiane, the owner of a nearby grocery store and halal butcher shop. the man who had told El Manoug in passing on Thursday that the visitor wasn't interested in learning about Islam.

• Mosque shooting victims include businessman, professor and fathers of young children

El Manoug said he didn't ask the visitor for his name or identification.

He said the man was slightly built and carrying what looked like a student's bag.

It wasn't until Monday, he said, when the identity of the accused shooter was revealed, that he realized the man he'd been speaking to on Thursday was Alexandre Bissonnette.

Bissonnette, a27-year-old who lived a few blocks from the mosque, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in connection with Sunday's attack.

El Manoug said he had been at the mosquewhere police were talking to members about safety and security issues and asking for any information they might have.

"I Googled'suspect fusillade Quebec[suspect shooting Quebec],'" he said. "I found his picture. It was the same person. Immediately, I told [police] that this person is the one I met."

"I'm sure, 100 per cent."