Medals were awarded to Aymen Derbali, who was left paralyzed from the waist down, and to Azzedine Soufiane, one of six men killed in the Jan 29, 2017 attack.

The 57-year-old Soufiane managed to pounce on the gunman and overpower him for several seconds, but he died when the shooter broke free and fired his weapon.

Derbali, who was hit by seven bullets, put himself in the line of fire in an effort to distract the shooter. He now uses a wheelchair.

Alexandre Bissonnette, who is to be sentenced on Friday, has pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

Justice Minister Sonia LeBel presented the medals at a ceremony at the National Assembly.

Related

Quebec man arrested on hate charge after Facebook video praises mosque shooter

Quebec City mosque shooting: Commemoration marks 2nd anniversary of tragedy

Quebec City mosque shooting: Remembering the victims and moving on 2 years later

Source: Read Full Article