A man is in police custody after two people were stabbed at an Edmonton Sikh temple early Friday.
Police said the incident happened around 5:08 a.m. at Nanaksar Sikh Temple near 14 Street and Horsehill Rd. In a news release, police said they arrested a suspect, while two men were treated on scene with non-life-threatening injuries.
A source whose family attends the temple said the victims were priests who were stabbed while trying to stop a man from damaging a holy book. The source said one of the priests was stabbed in the head.
Police did not immediately suggest a motive for the violence, but are holding a news conference at 2 p.m. to discuss the case.
In a Friday morning statement, the non-profit World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) said it was ‘deeply troubled’ by Friday’s attack.
“We are deeply troubled by what has happened at Nanaksar Gurdwara this morning, but unfortunately, we cannot say that we are surprised,” said WSO president Danish Singh in the statement. “We have been warning for quite some time that anti-Sikh hate is rising in Canada and that, if it is allowed to continue unchecked, hateful rhetoric can translate into threats and actual violence.
“We are asking gurdwaras across Canada to review and strengthen their security procedures and to remain vigilant. At the same time, we will not allow fear to dictate how Sikhs live in Canada.”
More to come.
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