27-year-old man stabs 2 at Canada’s Edmonton gurdwara; probe underway

27-year-old man stabs 2 at Canada’s Edmonton gurdwara; probe underway

Mangalore Today News Network

Toronto, Aug 22, 2026: Two men were injured after a 27-year-old armed man allegedly stabbed them inside a gurdwara in Edmonton during morning prayers on Friday. Police are investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated.

The incident occurred at the Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton at around 5 am local time.

According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), the suspect entered the gurdwara and attempted to gain access to the prayer area before being confronted by staff.

The confrontation escalated, resulting in two men, aged 75 and 51, being stabbed, police said.

Acting Inspector Eric Stewart of the EPS said during a news conference that the department’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating the incident.

Police had received a report of a man walking in traffic shortly before officers were called to the gurdwara following reports of the stabbing.

Stewart said “quick-acting witnesses” intervened and detained the suspect until police arrived. The injured men were subsequently taken to hospital.

Zora Grewal, vice-president of the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple, told CBC News that several people were inside the building when the attack disrupted morning prayers.

While police described the injured men as worshippers, Grewal said one was a temple priest and the other a longtime volunteer.

According to Grewal, people inside the gurdwara attempted to remove the armed man from the building, following which he allegedly attacked the priest with a screwdriver multiple times before stabbing the elderly volunteer.

The two injured men were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was also injured and taken to hospital, according to the report.