Overview

Martin Couture-Rouleau was the first Canadian to successfully carry out a domestic terror attack in the name of Islam on Canadian soil.Dylan Robertson, “‘Everybody can be radicalized’: How an everyday Canadian stunned the country as a terrorist,” Calgary Herald (Calgary), September 30, 2015, http://calgaryherald.com/news/national/9999-lang-how-radicalize. On October 20, 2014, Couture-Rouleau executed a vehicle ramming attack in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, that killed one Canadian soldier and injured another.“Martin Rouleau, Quebec driver shot by police, ‘radicalized’: RCMP,” CBC News, October 20, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-rouleau-quebec-driver-shot-by-police-radicalized-rcmp-1.2806104. Prior to the attack, Couture-Rouleau was monitored by authorities over concerns that he had become radicalized following a possible attempt to travel abroad to join a terrorist group.“From typical teen to jihadist: How Martin Couture-Rouleau became radicalized after converting to Islam,” National Post (Toronto), http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/from-typical-teen-to-jihadist-how-martin-couture-rouleau-became-radicalized-after-converting-to-islam. Couture-Rouleau engaged with ISIS and other jihadist propaganda on social media, though there is no evidence that he carried out the attack on behalf on any specific group.Umberto Bacchi, “Canada: Isis ‘Lone Wolf Killer Martin Couture Rouleau Mows Down Soldiers with Car,” International Business Times, October 21, 2014, https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/canada-isis-lone-wolf-killer-martin-couture-rouleau-mows-down-soldiers-car-1471023.

Martin Couture-Rouleau lived with his father in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. In the year preceding the attack, he reportedly converted to Islam, grew a beard, and began to dress in Islamic clothing and attend a mosque regularly.“A radicalized man: Who was Martin Couture-Rouleau?” CTV Montreal, October 21, 2014, https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/a-radicalized-man-who-was-martin-couture-rouleau-1.2064326; Mark Gollom and Tracey Lindeman, “Who is Martin Couture-Rouleau?” CBC News, October 21, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/who-is-martin-couture-rouleau-1.2807285. He was active on Facebook, using the name “Ahmad LeConverti” (Ahmad the Converted). According to a Facebook friend, he reportedly engaged with posts that disparaged Islam. His Facebook page also contained anti-Semitic and pro-jihad propaganda videos, including a video featuring the ISIS logo, as well as posts referencing the ISIS flag.Mark Gollom and Tracey Lindeman, “Who is Martin Couture-Rouleau?” CBC News, October 21, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/who-is-martin-couture-rouleau-1.2807285; “Martin Rouleau, Quebec driver shot by police, ‘radicalized’: RCMP,” CBC News, October 20, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-rouleau-quebec-driver-shot-by-police-radicalized-rcmp-1.2806104. Couture-Rouleau was also active on Twitter, where he followed several pro-ISIS and pro-jihad accounts.Umberto Bacchi, “Canada: Isis ‘Lone Wolf Killer Martin Couture Rouleau Mows Down Soldiers with Car,” International Business Times, October 21, 2014, https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/canada-isis-lone-wolf-killer-martin-couture-rouleau-mows-down-soldiers-car-1471023. During this time, he also reportedly told friends that he was sending money to Syria.Dylan Robertson, “‘Everybody can be radicalized’: How an everyday Canadian stunned the country as a terrorist,” Calgary Herald (Calgary), September 30, 2015, http://calgaryherald.com/news/national/9999-lang-how-radicalize.

Prior to carrying out the October 2014 attack, Couture-Rouleau was under investigation by authorities over concerns that he had become radicalized and that he had attempted to join a terror group.“Martin Rouleau, Quebec driver shot by police, ‘radicalized’: RCMP,” CBC News, October 20, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-rouleau-quebec-driver-shot-by-police-radicalized-rcmp-1.2806104. He was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in June 2014 before boarding a flight to Turkey in a possible attempt to travel to Syria, but was released from custody due to a lack of evidence that he was traveling for terrorist purposes. However, authorities seized his passport and continued to monitor his activities during the subsequent months. RCMP officers even met with him several times in the subsequent months in an attempt to discourage him from subscribing to violent terrorist ideologies.“From typical teen to jihadist: How Martin Couture-Rouleau became radicalized after converting to Islam,” National Post (Toronto), http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/from-typical-teen-to-jihadist-how-martin-couture-rouleau-became-radicalized-after-converting-to-islam.

On October 20, 2014, Couture-Rouleau drove his car into two members of the Canadian Armed Forces in a parking lot in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu at about 11:30 a.m. local time. Both soldiers were wounded, and one later died of his injuries.“Martin Rouleau, Quebec driver shot by police, ‘radicalized’: RCMP,” CBC News, October 20, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-rouleau-quebec-driver-shot-by-police-radicalized-rcmp-1.2806104. Couture-Rouleau reportedly waited in the lot for at least two hours before carrying out the attack.Mark Gollom and Tracey Lindeman, “Who is Martin Couture-Rouleau?” CBC News, October 21, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/who-is-martin-couture-rouleau-1.2807285. After the attack, Couture-Rouleau called 911 and told the operators that he had carried out the attack in the name of Allah.Kieran Corcoran, “Radicalized Canadian Muslim mows down two soldiers ‘in the name of Allah’, killing one,” Daily Mail (London), October 20, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2801102/radicalized-canadian-muslim-convert-runs-two-young-soldiers-car-shot-dead-police.html. He was then pursued by police as he drove off from the scene, until he lost control of his car and flipped it into a ditch. Couture-Rouleau was fatally shot by police as he subsequently exited the vehicle, and a knife was found at the scene.“Martin Rouleau, Quebec driver shot by police, ‘radicalized’: RCMP,” CBC News, October 20, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-rouleau-quebec-driver-shot-by-police-radicalized-rcmp-1.2806104. Some witness reports claim that Couture-Rouleau charged at police while holding the knife before he was shot.Dylan Robertson, “‘Everybody can be radicalized’: How an everyday Canadian stunned the country as a terrorist,” Calgary Herald (Calgary), September 30, 2015, http://calgaryherald.com/news/national/9999-lang-how-radicalize.