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Assailant with bear spray attacks Canada mosque
At this point investigators think the incident was an isolated act and are considering hate as a possible motive, police said in a statement
A 24-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in Canada after he entered a mosque armed with a hatchet, and attacked worshippers with bear spray.
The attack at the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in Mississauga, Toronto, occurred during dawn prayers on Saturday.
Peel regional police said in a statement that the assailant had “discharged bear spray” at worshippers and was “brandishing a hatchet”. There were about thirty people present at the time and “members of the mosque quickly subdued the man until police arrived”, the statement said.
Mosque members “received minor injuries as a result of the bear spray,” police said in the release.
The assailant has been identified as Mohammad Moiz Omar, a resident of Mississauga. Police said that investigators were “considering all possible motivations, including hate-motivation for the incident as charges are pending.”
“At this stage of the investigation, it appears to be an isolated incident,” they said.
Police also suggested that the incident was “a possible hate-motivated crime”.
Omar has been charged on multiple counts, including assault with a weapon; administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; carrying a concealed weapon; and mischief to religious property.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put out a tweet condemning the assault as “incredibly disturbing”.
“I strongly condemn this violence – which has no place in Canada – and I’m keeping the community in my thoughts today. I also want to applaud the courage of those who were there this morning,” he said.
The Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, also reacted to the attack, tweeting there was “NO place in our province for such evil and hateful acts. We must ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
In a statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said an individual came to the mosque “wielding an [axe] and carrying numerous other sharp-edged weapons, as well as pepper spray”.
It said the congregants had been “subject to a violent attack”.
Its CEO Mustafa Farooq said that the attack “has been incredibly terrifying,” adding they believed “it to be an isolated incident and the suspect has been arrested”.
