Sikh priest and volunteer attacked in Edmonton's Gurudwara; Canada
Two men, including a priest, were injured after a 27-year-old man allegedly stabbed them with a screwdriver inside Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton, Canada, on Friday morning. Police are investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated.
The incident occurred around 5 am when the suspect entered the gurdwara and attempted to reach the prayer area. Staff members confronted him, following which the situation escalated and a 75-year-old priest and a 51-year-old volunteer were stabbed, according to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).
Witnesses restrained the suspect until police arrived. The two victims were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the suspect, who was also injured, was taken to hospital as well.
The stabbing came days after two Sikh temples in northeast Calgary received threatening phone calls on August 15. Police said both calls came from the same number and that there was no indication of an active threat to the wider community.
The suspect was known to police and had a history of violent attacks dating back to 2015, authorities said. He had been released from a federal prison in Alberta a day before the stabbing and was required to report to a designated halfway house in Edmonton but failed to do so.
The EPS Investigative Response Team is handling the case with the Hate Crimes Unit to determine whether the attack was motivated by hate. Charges are pending.
Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple vice-president Zora Grewal identified the victims as a priest and a longtime volunteer. He said the priest was stabbed repeatedly before the suspect attacked the elderly volunteer. No Sikh scripture was damaged, he added.
Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Sikh community, while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the incident an act of violence against the community and renewed calls for federal bail and parole reforms.
Police Chief Warren Driechel said the incident had caused trauma among the victims and the wider Sikh community, stressing that such violence had no place in Edmonton. The World Sikh Organisation of Canada also urged gurdwaras across the country to review their security measures and remain vigilant.
(with inputs from PTI)
