A recently graduated student has been charged with a stabbing attack in a Canadian university’s gender studies class that left three people injured.
Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, 24, is an international student who recently finished studying at the University of Waterloo, Regional Police Service Chief Mark Crowell said on Thursday.
“The accused targeted a gender-studies class and investigators believe this was a hate-motivated incident related to gender expression and gender identity,” the service said in a statement.
Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, 24, charged over stabbing at Canada’s University of Waterloo— (LinkedIn)
The suspect has now been charged with three counts of aggravated assault; four counts of assault with a weapon; two counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and mischief under $5,000.
“It is both sad and disturbing that this incident has occurred during Pride month,” Chief Crowell said. “We hope this incident does not diminish from these celebrations but, instead, encourages us all to come together.”
Investigators say that he walked into a university lecture classroom on Wednesday afternoon and stabbed a 38-year-old professor, a 20-year-old female student and a 19-year-old male student with a knife.
Around 40 students were inside the classroom at the time of the attack and fled for safety, police said. The university is located around 70 miles west of Toronto.
Authorities say that Mr Villalba-Aleman, who has no previous criminal record and according to his social media accounts is originally from Ecuador, was not a member of the class but spoke with the professor of the class “before attacking her with two large knives without provocation.”
He then tried to pose as a victim of the attack before officers identified and arrested him.
The victims’ injuries are serious but not life-threatening, and all were being treated at hospitals, said officials.
His Facebook page states that he graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Science (Physics) degree.
