A Winnipeg mosque says its building was shot at and damaged in an incident now being investigated by Winnipeg police hate crime co-ordinators.
The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said it received a report of damage to the Rahma Islamic Centre on Watt Steet shortly after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police said multiple windows were shattered, with damages estimated at more than $3,000.
Const. Claude Chancy, a WPS public information officer, said earlier that evening it was reported that a vehicle drove past the centre while its occupants shouted “racially derogatory names” at patrons.
In a statement posted to social media, the mosque alleges two individuals fired shots at the centre from a vehicle before attacking the premises with another weapon that broke glass. It adds the individuals who yelled racial slurs earlier at people gathered at the centre are believed to be the same attackers.
“This attack has deeply shaken our volunteers, community, children, and staff,” reads a statement from the facility, which says it occurred while community members were inside.
“Our centre exists to provide a place of community, belonging, and peace. To have that sense of safety violated by what appears to be deliberate acts of violence is profoundly disturbing.”
The statement adds that the individuals were unable to enter the premises, and that no one was injured.
During a news conference held at the facility Thursday evening, Manitoba’s Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Nellie Kennedy said the provincial government would fund the repairs.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mayor Scott Gillingham also spoke out about the incident, with Carney saying that he is deeply disturbed.
“The violent act of Islamophobia is appalling and has no place in Canada,” he said in a post on X.
Carney went on to say that he’s grateful no one was hurt, adding that law enforcement has his full support as they work to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a Facebook post, Gillingham said there’s no place for hate, intimidation, or Islamophobia in Winnipeg.
He added that no one should feel unsafe in a place of worship and encouraged anyone with information on the incident to come forward.
The Major Crimes Unit’s hate crime coordinators have been assigned to investigate.
No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made, Chancy said.
