Edmonton gurdwara stabbing during prayers probed as possible hate crime

An armed man allegedly stabbed a priest and a volunteer inside an Edmonton gurdwara during morning prayers. Police are now examining whether the attack was driven by hate, intensifying concern in the Sikh community.

In Short

• Attack disrupted early morning prayers at Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton
• Staff confronted the suspect after he tried entering the prayer area
• Witnesses detained the accused before officers reached the temple premises

Two men were injured after a 27-year-old armed man allegedly stabbed them inside a gurdwara in Edmonton, Canada, during morning prayers on Friday, with police probing whether the attack was hate-motivated.

The incident took place at the Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton at around 5 am local time. Police said the suspect entered the gurdwara and tried to access the prayer area before staff confronted him.

The confrontation then escalated, and the two men, aged 75 and 51, were stabbed, the Edmonton Police Service said in a statement. During a press conference on Friday, Acting Inspector Eric Stewart said the EPS Hate Crimes unit was investigating the case.

Stewart said police had received a report shortly before the stabbing about a man walking in traffic, before officers were called to the gurdwara. He said "quick acting witnesses" intervened and detained the man before police arrived, and the victims were taken to hospital.

Zora Grewal, vice-president of the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple, said witnesses told him several people were inside the building when the attack interrupted morning prayers, CBC News reported. While police described the victims as worshippers, Grewal said they were a temple priest and a long-time volunteer. He said that when people inside the temple tried to remove the armed man from the building, he lashed out and stabbed the priest repeatedly with a screwdriver before turning the weapon on the elderly volunteer.

The two injured men were taken to hospital and were reported to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the report said. The suspect was also injured and taken to hospital. Police are investigating the stabbing at the Edmonton gurdwara, including whether it was motivated by hate.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends