University of Waterloo standing in solidarity after stabbing spree sends three to hospital

The mood on the University of Waterloo (UW) campus was sombre but united, the day after a stabbing spree in a gender studies classroom sent two students and a professor to hospital.

Classes resumed as normal at Hagey Hall – the site where a professor and two students were stabbed on Wednesday afternoon – however, only a handful of students were seen going into the building.

On Thursday, hundreds of people gathered in the quad, including students, university administrator, staff and Waterloo region’s police chief.

The grief was visible on many faces, some expressing shock that an assault like this could happen on campus.

Calling it a hate-filled attack, university president Vivek Goel told those on campus there is no room for hate in this community, and urged everyone to support each other through this trauma.

“We will be leaving our Pride and Two-Spirit flags in place until the end of July. Let these flags be a reminder that you are loved, that you belong here, no matter who you are,” Goel said.

He said it’s all the more painful that someone would target the LGBTQ2S+ community during Pride month, adding he understands that community and women may feel disproportionately impacted.

"The gay community, to the entire Two-Spirit LGBTQIA+ community, it’s very shocking it’s very, very shocking for that community and they will need our support moving forward,” said Nick Manning, associate vice-president of communications of the University of Waterloo

An independently led solidarity rally was also held outside Hagey Hall with the group calling for all to take a stand against misogyny and hate.

According to Waterloo regional police, alleged attacker, 24-year-old Geovanny Villalba-Aleman had been studying at the university, and faces three counts of aggravated assault, four counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Police said the accused graduated but did not specify when.

Police said he also faces a charge of mischief under $5,000 charge in relation to a ripped Pride flag.

STUDENTS REACT TO ATTACK

University of Waterloo student Zora Chen noted that the campus was empty, giving the university a different feeling.

University of Waterloo PHD Student Eleanor McGrath said she was unaware of the attacks, and only found out about them later through social media.

“So, we were actually finding out after the fact which we didn’t know at the time and so that’s how I found out it’s just someone who heard on Reddit,” McGrath said.

CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATION

Faculty, staff and students are now turning their attention to how the incident was handled, sharing their concerns about a lack of communication for those on and off campus.

One student told CTV News nothing about the incident was made clear, and they feel more could have been done.

“The big thing that we are hearing from students is that something like this is very dreadful,” Rory Norris, president of Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association said.

Aimee Morrison, English professor at UW added: “I think the messaging system could have been clearer and what I would really like to see from the university as a response now is an acknowledgement that this seems to be a hate fueled incident”

Initial reports of the stabbing came just hours after the UW said it was done testing its emergency notification system. But many say they did not receive any emergency notification from the app, unaware of the magnitude of the situation

“Had I been on campus yesterday – I usually am in my office by around 4 p.m., still on campus before I go home for the day – I would have had no idea,” McGrath said.

Meanwhile, Manning said the university is hoping to learn from this attack to better its alert system in the future.

“One of the first lessons that we are going to have to learn from this attack is to understand how that WatSAFE system works to make improvements to make sure we can support our community better in the future,” Manning said.

A post to Twitter from the WatSAFE app hours before the attack reads “during an actual emergency or threat you would receive instructions.”