“Investigators consider this was a hate-motivated incident associated to gender expression and gender identification,” the assertion mentioned.
The “deliberate and focused” assault was in opposition to the 2SLGBTQ+ group at giant, Waterloo Police Chief Mark Crowell mentioned at a information convention, utilizing an acronym that features “2S” or “Two Spirit,” a time period for an Indigenous North American individual with a 3rd gender position.
Villalba-Aleman, who was not a member of the gender research class, was arrested in Hagey Corridor, the constructing the place the assault happened. Police mentioned he was wielding two giant knives. Katy Fulfer, the professor educating the category, in addition to two college students aged 19 and 20 have been attacked.
A few of the 40 or so college students within the class threw objects and chairs on the attacker in an try and cease him, Crowell mentioned.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned Thursday on Twitter that he condemned the “vile act” and its “completely despicable” motive.
“It’s one other reminder that we are able to by no means let misogynistic, anti-2SLGBTQI+ rhetoric escalate — as a result of these phrases have real-life penalties,” he mentioned.
James W.E. Rush, the College of Waterloo provost, mentioned in a assertion that the college was “deeply saddened and outraged by this horrific act,” and that assist was out there to all college students.
The college flew the Two Spirit flag alongside the rainbow Pleasure flag for the primary time on the campus’s most important entrance throughout Pleasure Month this June.
College president Vivek Goel mentioned on Twitter that each flags can be flown till the top of July as an indication of assist for affected college students.
In an indication of #UWaterloo’s continued assist to the 2SLGBTQIA+ group members disproportionately impacted by the hate-motivated violence, we’ll proceed to fly our Pleasure and Two-Spirit flags till the top of July. 3/6 pic.twitter.com/oOhChxQwLA
— Vivek Goel (@UWaterlooPres) June 29, 2023
“That this hate-filled assault attributable to gender expression and identification occurred on the finish of Pleasure Month is much more painful,” Goel mentioned.
A latest College of Waterloo survey discovered that 26 % of its college students didn’t establish as heterosexual. The category focused within the assault aimed to look at the development of gender within the historical past of philosophy.
Villalba-Aleman, who had just lately graduated, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, 4 counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a harmful goal.