On Friday morning, two men were attacked inside a Canadian gurdwara as they attempted to prevent a guy from entering the prayer area. The accused, a 27-year-old, was taken into custody for interfering with morning prayers at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Edmonton and stabbing two individuals with a screwdriver.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) was notified at 4:49 on Friday morning that a man was reportedly strolling in traffic on Highway 15 close to Horsehill Road. Police received reports of a stabbing at the nearby gurdwara less than thirty minutes later, at 5:05.
Preliminary reports state that officials approached a male who had entered the gurudwara and tried to join the prayer area. “Two male gurdwara patrons were stabbed as the altercation intensified. The suspect was kept by witnesses until Northeast Branch patrol officers arrived at 5:10 am and took him into jail right away, according to the police.
The two victims, a 51-year-old man and a 75-year-old man, were brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.
Acting Inspector Eric Stewart stated at a press conference that the accused has a history of assaults.
“As of right now, we can inform you that the 27-year-old male is well-known to law enforcement and has a lengthy history of violent crimes that dates back to 2015. We have discovered that he was released from a federal facility yesterday, August 20, after serving a term for assaulting a peace officer and aggravated assault, but he neglected to report to his assigned halfway home in Edmonton,” Stewart stated. Investigators are looking into the possibility that hate fueled the incident. The 27-year-old’s identity has not yet been made public because charges against him are still pending.
If it is determined that the event was motivated by ideology, Edmonton Police Service Chief Warren Driechel promised the public that all relevant criminal code provisions, including those related to hate-motivated offenses like Bill C9, will be taken into consideration. “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.”
“I see the heightened geopolitical tensions and increasing polarization around the world showing up locally,” he said, urging people to remain patient and have faith in the inquiry but acknowledging worries about an increase in hate crimes. We must confront these truths as they arise because they cannot be disregarded. We can’t keep quiet,” he continued.
Harman Kandola, a board member of the World Sikh Organization, denounced the act and described it as a “reminder of the growing threat of anti-Sikh hate.”
The event is being looked into further.
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