The Edmonton incident occurred around 5.08 am local time at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple, near 14 Street and Horsehill Road on the city’s northeastern outskirts. Police received an initial report at 4.49 am of a man walking in traffic on Highway 15 near Horsehill Road. Shortly afterwards, the man entered the gurdwara and attempted to pick up Guru Granth Sahib. When staff and worshippers confronted him, he stabbed two people.

“Quick-acting witnesses intervened and detained the man,” EPS Acting Inspector Eric Stewart told reporters. Northeast Branch patrol officers arrived at approximately 5.10 am and took the suspect into custody. Emergency medical services treated and transported the two victims to hospital.

Suspect has history of violence

The 27-year-old suspect is known to police and has a “significant” history of violent offences dating back to 2015. He failed to report to his designated halfway house in Edmonton. Charges against him are pending, and his name has not been released.

EPS Chief Warren Driechel said the force’s Investigative Response Team and Hate Crimes Unit are jointly investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated.

“We are thankful that this morning’s event did not result in more significant injuries or deaths but also recognise that the trauma experienced by the victims and their community cannot be understated,” Driechel said.

Police have not confirmed reports that the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, regarded as a living Guru, was damaged or desecrated. The World Sikh Organization of Canada stated that the scripture was targeted during the incident. Some temple officials later indicated that while no sacred texts were damaged, the Rumala Sahib, the ceremonial covering, may have been displaced in the scuffle. Driechel said police were aware of the claims and were examining them.

Anti-Sikh hate rising: Community reacts

Zora Grewal, vice-president of the gurdwara, said the victims included a temple priest and a longtime volunteer. According to community accounts, the attacker attempted to approach the Guru Granth Sahib during the early morning kirtan. When congregants intervened, he lashed out with the screwdriver before locking himself in a bathroom, from where he was later taken out by the police.

The attack was condemned by Sikh organisations, civic leaders and politicians. WSO president Danish Singh said the organisation was “deeply troubled” but “not surprised”, citing a documented rise in anti-Sikh hate in Canada.

“We have been warning for quite some time that anti-Sikh hate is rising… and that, if it is allowed to continue unchecked, hateful rhetoric can translate into threats and actual violence,” Singh said.

The WSO urged gurdwaras across Canada to review security and called on all levels of government to provide enhanced protection for places of worship. The organisation specifically linked its concern to the Calgary threats under investigation by police.

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack expressed “heartfelt sympathies” to the victims and described the incident as a threat to the city’s values of diversity and inclusion. “This is not an isolated incident, especially given the rise of anti-Sikh hate in Alberta,” he said.

Sikh organisations have also pointed to other recent incidents in Alberta, including an alleged assault on a Sikh truck driver at an Edmonton Walmart and the earlier shooting of a young Sikh man near Leduc.

A proposed Khalistan referendum organised by pro-Khalistan groups is scheduled in Edmonton for October 18, 2026. Some community reports have noted tensions between referendum organisers and the Nanaksar management, but authorities have not connected the stabbing to those differences.

The gurdwara remained closed to the public while the investigation continued.