A gender studies professor and two students were injured and hospitalized while one person was arrested after a stabbing at the University of Waterloo.
Waterloo Regional Police said officers were called to the school at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, after receiving reports of a stabbing at Hagey Hall.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Waterloo police Supt. Shaena Morris said three victims were injured but were in non-life-threatening condition.
Morris said a male was “quickly” arrested after the incident, with the help of the university’s special constables.
In a tweet at around 4:50 p.m., the school said there was “no further threat to our campus community,” and asked people in Hagey Hall to vacate “immediately” leaving all the doors open.
According to Morris, the incident occurred inside a classroom in Hagey Hall.
The person in custody is a member of the university community, Morris confirmed.
Nick Manning, the associate vice-president of communications at the university said the incident occurred in a second-year philosophy class, adding that two students and a professor were injured.
Students at the university told Motorcycle accident toronto today the stabbing occurred during a gender studies class.
Morris said the incident was contained to the university.
“There’s no further threat to public safety, either on campus or outside in the broader community at this time,” she said.
According to Morris, a motive for the attack is not immediately known.
“Obviously, we’re under investigation currently,” she said. “We do have investigators with our person under arrest determining that right now.”
Morris said no charges had been laid yet.
The university tested its emergency notification app on Wednesday morning called ‘WatSafe’, but when it was needed, it didn’t work effectively.
Students at the university shared with Motorcycle accident toronto today that the app didn’t send them notifications until nearly an hour after the stabbing, and some said they were getting updates faster on Reddit and Twitter.
“I think we need to go back and have another look at our emergency notification systems, but as soon as we had official notification from our partners in the police, we were there notifying our community through other means,” Manning said.
Shortly after the incident, the school cancelled all remaining classes scheduled to take place at Hagey Hall on Wednesday.
“All other campus operations will proceed as usual,” the school said in a tweet.
In a tweet at around 7:30 p.m., the school said police had cleared Hagey Hall, but that it would remain closed until Thursday morning.
“There continues to be no further threat to our campus community,” the tweet read.
Manning said the university is working to provide support to those impacted by the incident.
“Our first thoughts — of course — go to the students who are in the class, and have turned immediately to making sure that in addition to supporting the police inquiry, we’ve been there to support the mental health of our students and our staff,” he said.
Imaan Saleh was about to head out the door to come to class when she was told by friends and family of what was happening on campus.
“Honestly, it’s scary, I had a lecture right there, I was at home getting ready to come to school and then my lecture was cancelled,” said Saleh.
The university student who showed up to campus after the situation had settled said she was still startled by the attack.
“You come to university thinking it’s a safe environment — you’re in an environment where everyone is here to learn, you’re coming to do your thing, to progress in your career — and then for something like this to happen and disrupt the day, it’s unimaginable,” she said.
“I could be attending a lecture myself and three of my colleagues could be getting stabbed, it’s scary.”
Manning said counsellors from the Canadian Mental Health Association will be at the university to provide support as needed.
Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe issued a statement on Twitter in response to the incident, noting that there was not further threat to the community.
“This was a very troubling & disturbing incident. I’m relieved that the individual involved was quickly apprehended,” she wrote. “Waterloo City Council & staff offer our support & hopes for a full recovery to those injured on UW’s campus today.”
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