Two men, including a priest, were injured after a 27-year-old man stabbed them with a screwdriver inside a gurdwara in Canada’s Edmonton, with police investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated, authorities said.
The incident took place at Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton around 5 a.m. (local time) on Friday (August 21, 2026), police said, adding that the suspect entered the gurdwara and attempted to access the prayer area before he was confronted by the staff.
The confrontation escalated and two men, aged 75 and 51, were stabbed, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said in a statement on Friday (August 21, 2026).
Witnesses intervened and detained the suspect until police arrived and arrested him, it said.
The two injured men were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the suspect was also injured and taken to the hospital, CBC News reported.
Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Sikh community.
“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,” Mr. Carney said in a post on X.
“No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship. I want to thank the Edmonton Police Service for their swift response,” he said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith condemned Friday’s act of violence against the Sikh community and called for reforms to federal bail and parole laws, CBC News reported.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities and places of worship, and we will continue to defend that right,” Ms. Smith said, adding that the attack underscored the need for the federal government to take bail and parole reform seriously.
Naheed Nenshi, leader of Alberta’s official Opposition, described the violence at the Edmonton temple as shocking and said crimes in places of worship were particularly disturbing and had left members of the community shaken, the report said.
Police said the suspect had been seen walking in traffic on Highway 15 shortly before the stabbing, Global News reported.
The suspect, who was known to police, has an extensive history of violent attacks dating back to 2015, police said. He had been released from a federal prison in Alberta the day before the attack, and failed to report to his designated halfway house in Edmonton, officials said.
A designated halfway house is a transitional residential facility designed to help individuals safely reintegrate into society.
The EPS Investigative Response Team has taken over the case and is working with the Hate Crimes Unit to determine whether the attack was motivated by hate. Police said charges are pending against the suspect.
Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple vice-president Mr. Zora Grewal identified the injured men as a temple priest and a longtime volunteer, CBC News reported.
Mr. Grewal said the suspect allegedly used a screwdriver and stabbed the priest repeatedly before attacking the elderly volunteer. He said no Sikh scripture was damaged in the incident, the report added.
EPS Chief Warren Driechel said the incident had not resulted in more serious injuries or deaths but acknowledged the trauma caused to the victims and the Sikh community.
“This level of violence has no place in our city,” he said, adding that police were taking the incident and the safety of Edmonton’s Sikh community seriously.
World Sikh Organisation of Canada president Danish Singh said, “We are asking gurdwaras across Canada to review and strengthen their security procedures and to remain vigilant,” CBC News reported.
Friday’s (August 21, 2026) stabbing comes days after two Sikh temples in Alberta received threatening phone calls. Calgary police said the two temples, both located in the city’s northeast, received threatening calls from the same number on August 15, the report added.
Police said they were working closely with the temples as the investigation continued, but there was no indication of an active threat to the wider community.
Published – August 22, 2026 11:00 am IST
