Police say two men were injured at the Nanaksar Gurdwara temple in Edmonton on Friday morning when a man armed with a screwdriver interrupted morning prayers at the Sikh temple.
A 27-year-old man is in custody after a stabbing at the sprawling building on the outskirts of the city. The confrontation happened around 5 a.m. in the city’s northeast.
Police have not commented on a possible motive for Friday’s stabbing. During a news conference on Friday afternoon, Acting Inspector Eric Stewart with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said the EPS Hate Crimes unit is investigating.
Stewart said police received a report of a man walking in traffic shortly before officers were called to the scene of the stabbing.
He said a 27-year-old man entered the temple and attempted to enter the prayer room before stabbing two men.
“Quick acting witnesses” intervened and detained the man, before police arrived and the victims, aged 75 and 51, were taken to hospital, Stewart said.
The men were treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said. The suspect was also injured and taken to hospital.
Stewart said charges are pending against the suspect who is known to police and has a significant history of violence.
He said police have learned the suspect was released from a federal institution on Thursday. He had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer. The suspect had failed to report to his designated Edmonton halfway house.
Stewart said an investigation into how the suspect came to be in the area of the temple and not at his designated housing will be part of the ongoing investigation. Police did release his name as charges have not been laid.
‘This temple is only for prayer’
Zora Grewal, vice president of the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple, said witnesses told him that several people were inside the building when the attack interrupted morning prayers.
While police described the victims as worshippers, Grewal said they were a temple priest and a longtime volunteer.
He said when people inside the temple attempted to remove the armed man from the building, he lashed out and stabbed a priest repeatedly with a screwdriver before turning his weapon on the elderly volunteer.
Initial reports suggested that a Sikh scripture may have been attacked in the incident, temple officials told CBC News that no sacred texts were damaged during the attack.
Grewal said he was shocked to learn from investigators that the suspect had just been released from federal custody. He said the incident should prompt tighter controls on the release of offenders who may pose a danger to the public.
Grewal said both men are expected to recover from their injuries. Officials will meet during the weekend to determine what steps, such as additional security measures, may be required.
He added the temple’s doors are meant to be open to the public and the building is meant to be a place of peace.
“We love everybody. We don’t hate anybody,” said Grewal. “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.”
Sikh community asked to remain vigilant
In a statement Friday, World Sikh Organization of Canada president Danish Singh said the attack was deeply troubling and came amid what he described as a documented rise in anti-Sikh hate across Canada.
“We are asking gurdwaras across Canada to review and strengthen their security procedures and to remain vigilant,” Singh said.
“At the same time, we will not allow fear to dictate how Sikhs live in Canada.”
The gurdwara, which was built nearly 30 years ago, was closed temporarily to the public Friday morning while the police investigation continues.
The stabbing comes days after two Sikh temples in Alberta received threatening phone calls.
Calgary police said the two temples, both in the city’s northeast, received alarming calls from the same number on the afternoon of Aug. 15.
Police said they are working closely with both temples as the investigation continues and do not believe there is an active threat to the community.
In a statement to CBC News, Premier Danielle Smith condemned reported acts of violence against the Sikh community in recent days, and called on the federal government to reform bail and parole legislation.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities and places of worship, and we will continue to defend that right,” Smith said. “Today’s attack once again affirms why the federal government must take bail and parole reform seriously.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney also sent his condolences to the victims in a social media post.
“No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship. I want to thank the Edmonton Police Service for their swift response,” the post reads.
In a public statement on Friday, Naheed Nenshi, leader of Alberta’s official opposition, described news of violence unfolding inside the Edmonton temple as shocking.
He said crimes inside places of worship are particularly unsettling and have left many in the community shaken.
“This comes as threats are being made toward cultural and religious centres in Calgary,” he said.
“We have confidence that police will investigate fully, including determining if these are hate crimes. We are supporting the whole community right now, and our thoughts are for a quick recovery for those hurt and support for their loved ones.”