TORONTO (AP) — A professor and two students were stabbed to death Wednesday during a gender studies class at a university in the Canadian city of Waterloo and authorities have arrested a suspect, police said.
The injuries were not life-threatening, police added, saying the motive for the attack at the University of Waterloo was not immediately clear. The suspect was being questioned by investigators.
“At this time there are no more threats to public safety either on campus or in the community at large,” Waterloo Regional Police Chief Shaena Morris told a news conference.
Nick Manning, the center’s assistant vice president of communications, identified the suspect as a member “of the university community” but declined to confirm if he was a student. Two students and a teacher were stabbed, he added.
Manning said the incident occurred in a Philosophy 202 class, which, according to the university’s website, focuses on “gender studies.”
“Our entire community is really concerned that this has happened here. It’s a huge shock,” Manning told reporters.
Yusuf Kaymak, a student at the University of Waterloo, told CTV News that the attack occurred in a gender studies class.
“The guy basically walked in and asked the teacher if he was the teacher. He said ‘yes’ and then he pulled out a knife, and after that they all ran away,” Kaymak said.
“I ran out and once outside I saw a young man who had been stabbed. He was bleeding from his arm. I don’t know what happened to the teacher,” he added.
According to Kaymak, at the time of the incident there were about 40 students in the classroom.
Classes scheduled to take place at Hagey Hall on Wednesday afternoon have been cancelled, but all other campus activities have gone ahead as scheduled, the university said in a tweet.
