Man charged after threats uttered, car driven at Mosque worshipper: Cops
A man in a vehicle drove directly at a worshipper at a Markham mosque while yelling threats and religious slurs, according to witnesses.
A man in a vehicle allegedly drove directly at a worshipper at a Markham mosque while yelling threats and religious slurs, according to witnesses.
York Regional Police say officers are treating the April 6 incident at the Denison St. mosque as a suspected hate-motivated crime.
The alleged attack in Markham follows a June 6, 2021, incident in London, Ont., when a man rammed a pickup truck into a Muslim family, killing four people and wounding a fifth.
“We are deeply troubled by this incident, especially as we near the anniversary of the London terror attack,” said the Islamic Society of Markham. “Our security and logistics team have taken additional steps to keep worshippers safe in the next days of Ramadan.”
Members of the Hate Crime Unit attended the mosque to offer support to its members.
Sharan Karunakaran, 28, is charged with uttering threats, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving.
Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of housing, diversity and inclusion, tweeted: “I am deeply saddened by the hate motivated attack that took place outside of the Islamic Society of Markham on April 6th, during the holy month of Ramadan. The rise of Islamophobia motivated attacks is deeply concerning & we must stand up against it. We will not let hate win.”
In the London attack, Nathaniel Veltman, 20, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Veltman’s trial is set to start in September in Windsor, Ont.
