Day After Release From Jail, Man Stabs 2 At Canada Gurudwara With Screwdriver

Two men were stabbed inside a gurdwara in Canada on Friday morning after they tried to stop a man attempting to access the prayer area. The accused, a 27-year-old, has been arrested for stabbing two people with a screwdriver and disrupting morning prayers at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Edmonton.

On Friday morning, at 4:49, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) received reports of a male walking in traffic on Highway 15 near Horsehill Road. Less than half an hour later, at 5:05, police began receiving reports of a stabbing at the gurdwara in the area.

According to preliminary reports, a male entered the gurudwara and attempted to access the prayer area when he was confronted by staff. "The confrontation then escalated and two male patrons of the gurdwara were stabbed. Witnesses intervened and detained the man until Northeast Branch patrol officers arrived at 5:10 am and immediately took him into custody," the police said.

The two victims -- a 75-year-old male and a 51-year-old male -- were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accused has a history of attacks, Acting Inspector Eric Stewart said during a press briefing.

"At this time we can tell you that the 27-year-old man is known to police and has a significant history of violent offences dating back to 2015. We have learned that he was released from a federal institution yesterday, August 20, where he had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer, and he failed to report to his designated Edmonton halfway house," Stewart said.

Investigators are probing whether the incident was motivated by hate. Charges against the 27-year-old are still pending, and therefore his name has not been revealed yet.

Edmonton Police Service Chief Warren Driechel assured the public that all applicable criminal code provisions, including those associated with hate-motivated offences like Bill C9, will be considered if it is found that the incident was motivated by ideology.

"This level of violence has no place in our city, and we want to ensure the Sikh community and all Edmontonians that we are taking this incident and their safety, seriously."

He urged people to maintain patience and trust in the investigation and acknowledged concerns over rising hate crimes.

"I see the heightened geopolitical tensions and increasing polarisation around the world showing up locally. These realities can't be ignored, and we need to call them out when they happen. We cannot remain silent," he added.

World Sikh Organisation Board Member Harman Kandola condemned the incident and called it a "reminder of the growing threat of anti-Sikh hate."

Describing the attack as "appalling", Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed solidarity with those injured.

"The attack at the Nanaksar Gurdwara in Edmonton this morning is appalling. My thoughts are with the two people who were injured and the wider community that is shaken by this terrible event. No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship," Carney wrote in a post on X.

The attack at the Nanaksar Gurdwara in Edmonton this morning is appalling. My thoughts are with the two people who were injured and the wider community that is shaken by this terrible event.

No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship. I want to thank the Edmonton…

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 21, 2026

Further investigation into the incident is underway.