Accused in University of Waterloo stabbings charged with attempted murder, added to other counts - Action News
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Kitchener-Waterloo

Accused in University of Waterloo stabbings charged with attempted murder, added to other counts

A 24-year-old former student faces an additional charge, of attempted murder, following the stabbings of an instructor and two students during a University of Waterloo, Ont., gender-studies class in June.

24-year-old former student already faces other assault, weapons and mischief charges

People walk past police cars at the University of Waterloo.
People walk past police cars at the University of Waterloo on June 28 after a triple stabbing on the campus in southern Ontario. An associate professor and two students who were in a gender-studies class were taken to hospital. A former student has been charged with several counts, including attempted murder. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)

A 24-year-old formerstudent facesan additional charge attempted murderin connection withthe June stabbingsinsidea University of Waterloo, Ont., classroom, police said Friday.

Two students and an instructor were stabbedin a gender-studies class in what police have called "a hate-motivated incident related to gender expression and gender identity."

Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, a recent graduate, was previouslycharged with:

  • Aggravated assault (three counts).
  • Assault with a weapon (four counts).
  • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose (two counts).
  • Mischief under $5,000.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is still investigating the incident, which took place in a gender-studies class in Hagey Hall.

Students, associate prof injured

Some 40 students were inside the classroom at the time of the stabbings.

A38-year-old female associate professorfrom Kitchenerand two studentsa 20-year-old female and a 19-year-old male, both from Waterloo were takento hospital withserious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police talk to a student.
Members of the Waterloo Regional Police Service investigate the stabbing in June inside Hagey Hall at the University of Waterloo. (Nick Iwanyshyn/The Canadian Press)

WRPS Chief Mark Crowellpreviously said a man who was not a member of the class entered around 3:30 p.m. ET and spoke with the professor "before attacking her with two large knives without provocation." Some people in the class tried to stop what was happening, while others fled the room, he said.

While students were attempting to escape, two students were stabbed and there was an attempt to stab a third student, who was not injured, Crowell said.

"The accused was located by police within the building and arrested."

University officials said the in-house emergency alert system didn't work as expected after the stabbings.

Rebecca Elming, a university spokesperson,confirmedthe WatSAFE app sent an alert to students 90 minutes after the incident.

With files from Antonia Reed