Two worshippers were injured after a 27-year-old man armed with a screwdriver entered the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in northeast Edmonton during morning prayers.
The 51- and 75-year-old men were stabbed while confronting the suspect. Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Witnesses detained the man until Edmonton police arrived.
The suspect had reportedly been released from federal prison a day earlier after serving a sentence for aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer. Police said he allegedly failed to report to a halfway house before the attack.
Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the incident as “appalling,” while Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre also called it “horrific.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith renewed calls for tougher measures for repeat violent offenders.
The Edmonton Police Service Hate Crimes Unit is investigating whether the attack was motivated by religious or racial hatred.
The World Sikh Organization, based in Canada, has said the attack is deeply troubling and has occurred against the backdrop of rising anti-Sikh hate across the country.
The organisation, according to BBC, said a copy of the Sikh scripture inside the temple was also desecrated in the attack. Police said they are aware of that report and are looking into it.