Canadian authorities have launched an investigation into a suspected hate-related attack on a mosque in Winnipeg after gunshots were fired at the building while worshippers were inside, according to community representatives.
The Rahma Islamic Centre said two individuals fired shots at the mosque from a vehicle on Wednesday evening before damaging windows with a blunt object. The centre confirmed that no one was hurt during the incident.
“Thankfully, they were unable to enter the premises, and no one was injured,” the centre said in a statement.
The Islamic centre said the attackers were believed to be the same people who earlier in the day directed racial slurs at individuals gathered outside the mosque.
“This attack has deeply shaken our volunteers, community, children and staff,” the statement said. “Our centre exists to provide a place of community, belonging and peace.”
Winnipeg police said officers were called to the scene at about 11:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday following reports of property damage.
Constable Claude Chancy said several windows were broken during the incident, with the cost of repairs estimated to exceed C$3,000 ($2,140). Police are also examining a separate complaint involving occupants of a passing vehicle who allegedly shouted racial slurs at people outside the mosque earlier in the day.
The investigation is being handled by the police major crimes unit alongside hate crime coordinators. Authorities have not identified any suspects, and no arrests have been made.
Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the incident, calling it “an appalling” act of Islamophobia.
“This violent act of Islamophobia is appalling and has no place in Canada. I’m grateful no one was injured,” Carney wrote on X, adding that law enforcement had his full support in bringing those responsible to justice.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree also criticised the attack, stating that “Islamophobia and hate have no place in Canada.”
“We stand with the Muslim community in Winnipeg and across Canada,” he wrote on X.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said security footage captured two people approaching the mosque, with one of them appearing to hit the building’s walls with a blunt object. The group added that bullet marks were later discovered on the mosque’s windows.
The NCCM said the incident was part of a wider increase in anti-Muslim attacks reported across Canada.
“This is yet another example of what has been almost daily violent Islamophobic attacks across Canada in recent weeks,” the group said.
