Arrest made after two worshippers stabbed with screwdriver at Edmonton Sikh temple

EDMONTON – Police in Edmonton say charges are pending against a man who, a day after leaving prison, entered a Sikh temple early Friday morning and stabbed two worshippers with a screwdriver.

Police Chief Warren Driechel says they are still investigating the motive, including whether it was a hate crime.

“If we determine the incident was motivated by ideology, we will be considering all applicable Criminal Code provisions, including those associated with hate-motivated offences,” Driechel told reporters. 

The confrontation happened around 5 a.m. at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in the city’s northeast.

Zora Grewal, the temple’s vice-president, said witnesses told him a man entered the temple and, when those inside tried to escort him out, he lashed out with the screwdriver. Others then wrestled him to the ground and police were called.

He said one victim was stabbed twice and that both are recovering.

“I don’t know why he came in here,” Grewal said in an interview Friday outside the temple. “We are not involved in any politics and this temple is only for prayer and peace of mind for everybody.”

Police said the two men are aged 75 and 51. The accused is 27, and police did not release his name as charges have yet to be laid.

However, they said he had just been released from prison Thursday on a sentence of aggravated assault and assault on a peace officer, and failed to report as required to a halfway house.

He has a history of violence dating back more than a decade, police said, and just before to the temple attack he was reported to be walking in traffic on a nearby highway.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called the attack appalling and said his thoughts were with the two people injured and “the wider community that is shaken by this terrible event.”

“No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship,” he wrote Friday on social media.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the attack highlights why the federal government must take bail and parole reform seriously.

“Violent repeat offenders must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and kept behind bars,” Smith wrote on social media.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities and places of worship, and we will continue to defend that right.”

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack urged residents to embrace the values of peace and inclusivity.

“We take pride in being a welcoming community that celebrates cultural diversity, the people of all faiths and backgrounds living in Edmonton,” Knack said.

Banisha Sandhu, a community activist who was at the gurdwara Friday afternoon, said she was shaken to hear the stabbing happened at the temple where she attends on Sundays. 

“It is a place of worship and it should be a place of peace,” said Sandhu, who also ran for Edmonton city council last year.

She said the temple is usually full on evenings and weekends.

“It’s a beautiful place and it’s open for every community, every person,” Sandhu said. 

The temple also has a community kitchen and offers free food to those in need, she added. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2026.