The victims, a 75-year-old man and a 51-year-old man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident on Friday, Aug. 21

NEED TO KNOW

• A 27-year-old man with a “history of violent offenses” was arrested after an attack at a Sikh temple in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Friday, Aug. 21, according to police

• The victims, a 75-year-old man and a 51-year-old man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries during morning prayers
• Police are investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated and have involved the Hate Crimes Unit

Police in Canada have arrested a man following a stabbing at a Sikh temple that left two people injured.

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said in a press release that its officers arrested a 27-year-old man after a stabbing at Edmonton, Alberta’s Nanaksar Gurdwara on Friday, Aug. 21.

Police said they first received reports of a man walking along the province’s Highway 1 at around 4:50 a.m. local time on Friday. About 15 minutes later, they received reports that a stabbing had taken place at the temple, located near the city’s 14th Street and Horsehill Road.

“It was reported to police that a male entered the Gurdwara and attempted to access the prayer area when he was confronted by staff,” police said. “The confrontation then escalated, and two male patrons of the Gurdwara were stabbed.”

Authorities said witnesses quickly intervened and held the attacker until officers arrived at around 5:10 a.m. and took him into custody.

The two people who were attacked were identified as a 75-year-old man and a 51-year-old man. They were both taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

During a news conference on Friday afternoon, police shared that the suspect is known to them and has a “significant history of violent offenses,” Global News and the CBC reported.

Acting Inspector Eric Stewart told the media on Friday that the suspect had just been released from a federal institution on Thursday, Aug. 20, and had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer. He had failed to report to a designated halfway house in Edmonton.

Police have not publicly identified the attacker, but said charges against the man are pending. The EPS’ Hate Crimes Unit is also investigating “to determine if this incident was hate-motivated.”

“We are thankful that this morning’s event did not result in more significant injuries or deaths but also recognize that the trauma experienced by the victims and their community cannot be understated,” EPS Chief Warren Driechel said in the press release. “This level of violence has no place in our city, and we want to ensure the Sikh community and all Edmontonians that we are taking this incident and their safety seriously.”

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Speaking with the CBC, Zora Grewal, vice president of Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh, said the attack interrupted the temple’s morning prayers.

According to Grewal, the victims were a temple priest and a longtime volunteer. When police arrived and tried to remove the attacker, he allegedly stabbed the priest multiple times with a screwdriver before attacking the volunteer.

The vice president told the outlet that both men are expected to recover from their injuries. He also shared that the temple is meant to be open to the public at all times and is viewed as a place of peace.

“We love everybody. We don’t hate anybody,” Grewal said. “This temple is only for prayer. People come here for peace of mind. We just pray to God this won’t happen again. So hopefully everybody is safe here.”

The EPS said in its press release that anyone who “may have noticed the man on Highway 15” is encouraged to call authorities at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.

“Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250,” police added.

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