Canadian police have charged a French-Canadian student with six counts of first degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in a terrorist attack against Muslims at a Quebec City mosque, media reports said.

Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, briefly appeared in a Quebec City court over Sunday evening's attack, during evening prayers at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, said a BBC report.

Vigils have been held across Canada to commemorate those killed and injured. More than 50 people were at the mosque when the shooting erupted just before 20:00 on Sunday.

Nineteen people were wounded - all men - and of five people still in hospital, two were in a critical condition, according to the BBC report.

However, Bissonnette was not charged with any terrorism-related offences.

Asked why, Crown prosecutor Thomas Jacques said Bissonnette was charged according to the evidence available.

“But you’ll understand that the events happened very recently,” Jacques told reporters. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Bissonnette, who was a student in the faculty of social sciences at Université Laval, just a short drive from the mosque that was attacked, showed no emotion during his brief hearing at the Quebec City courthouse.

His lawyer did not enter a plea, and the accused will next appear in court on Feb. 21.