A gunman has brought chaos to a separatist election victory rally in the Canadian province of Quebec, killing one man and wounding another.
The shooting on Tuesday followed preliminary results indicating the Parti Quebecois was set to form a minority government after nine years in opposition, the BBC reports.
PQ leader Pauline Marois was giving a victory speech in Montreal and had just spoken of her desire for the mainly French-speaking province to break away from Canada when shots were heard at the back of the hall.
Ms Marois was rushed off the stage and was not hurt.
A man was later arrested. The gunman's target was unclear but the suspect, said to be in his 50s, was later heard shouting in French: "The English are waking up".
Two shots were reportedly fired. One man aged 45 was fatally wounded, another is in a critical condition in hospital. Both had been working in the Metropolis concert hall when they were hit, reports said. A third man was taken to hospital in shock.
After walking out of the hall, the gunman then lit a fire outside the building. Witnesses said he had thrown a petrol bomb at the entrance, Journal de Quebec reported.
Television pictures showed the suspect being held on the ground in the street outside and a rifle being recovered. He was wearing a black hood and what looked like a blue dressing gown over black clothing. A handgun was also seized, reports said.
The attack marred PQ celebrations after claiming a projected 54 of the 125 seats in the province.
It is unclear whether the party's victory will lead to a new referendum on separation from the rest of Canada. Previous PQ governments held such votes in 1980 and 1995, but both failed.
