Winnipeg mosque was likely shot at with pellet-style gun, police say

Winnipeg police are investigating an incident at the Rahma Islamic Centre as a suspected hate crime, believing it involved a pellet-style gun. On Wednesday night, officers discovered broken windows at the mosque on Watt Street. They learned that suspects had shot and thrown objects at the building, causing the damage. Earlier that day, individuals reportedly shouted racist remarks at worshippers and passersby outside the centre.

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Due to the proximity and time frame of both incidents, investigators are attempting to determine if the incidents are related.

In an update on Friday, police confirmed they are actively investigating the suspected hate crime and have identified a potential second target. Officers are examining damage to a home on Roberta Avenue, where windows were broken around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. The damage to the home's windows also appears to have been caused by an airsoft or pellet-style gun. Investigators are working to determine if these two incidents are connected due to their proximity and timing.

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So, seeing our windows shattered would be the last thing anyone (expects).

Police have reiterated their appeal for public assistance, urging anyone with information, surveillance footage, or dashcam recordings to contact the Winnipeg Police Service. Witnesses Amjad Ahmed and Anas Askar, who attend the Rahma Islamic Centre, expressed their shock and distress over the incident. They noted that while the mosque's interior sustained no visible damage, the sense of safety among the community members has been significantly shaken.

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They feel shaken up, because as a small community, you wouldn’t think that (these) things would happen to you.

Steven Zhou, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), commented on the incident, suggesting it reflects a broader issue. He stated that while mosques being shot at may not be an everyday occurrence, the targeting of Muslim individuals and communities has become a "literally everyday occurrence."

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It’s not every day that you have a mosque that is shot up in the way that it had been on Wednesday night, but I can say that it is pretty much now a literally everyday occurrence where some Muslim