'We will not tolerate this kind of violence': 2 arrested connected to random stabbings
Two men are facing charges connected to three separate, random stabbings that happened within minutes of each other near downtown Calgary transit stops in the last week.
The attacks began about 4 a.m. on Dec. 21, the first near the LRT platform at Seventh Avenue and Fourth Street S.W.
Police say the victim was sprayed with a fire extinguisher before being stabbed in the lower back.
The victim was able to get to a nearby medical facility and was transported to hospital in serious but stable condition.
Minutes later, a man sleeping in a nearby bus shelter was also sprayed with a fire extinguisher then stabbed in the abdomen.
The victim was able to get to the LRT station, where he used to helpline and was transported to hospital in serious but stable condition.
The third attack happened a few blocks away, at the LRT station at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street S.W.
A man got off the CTrain and while walking on the platform, was sprayed with a fire extinguisher then stabbed in the lower back.
He was also transported to hospital in serious but stable condition.
High quality CCTV footage from Calgary Transit allowed investigators to develop descriptions of two suspects and a search warrant was obtained for a residence in the 900 block of Seventh Avenue S.W. on Dec. 23.
Two men were arrested and a number of items believed to be connected to the attacks, including clothing matching the suspects' descriptions, were seized, along with a number of knives, zap-strap cuffs, bear spray, brass knuckles, ammunition and a sawed-off .22 calibre rifle.
Police also seized a small quantity of drugs.
Investigators believe the attacks were random and were done simply to cause harm to others.
"We will not tolerate this kind of violence within our city. Our team of talented and dedicated investigators, along with the District Operations Team, are very good at what they do," said Staff Sgt. Kurt Jacobs.
"If you seek to harm others, they will find you and you will be held accountable for your actions. In this case, the suspects will be spending the holidays in jail while our victims and their families recover from these senseless attacks."
Asher Atter, 21, is charged with:
- Three counts of aggravated assault;
- Three counts of assault with a weapon;
- Two counts of breach of probation, and;
- Breach of a release order.
Jaymes Richardson, 29, is charged with:
- Three counts of aggravated assault;
- Three counts of assault with a weapon;
- Careless storage of a firearm;
- Possession of a weapon dangerous;
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm;
- Unlicensed weapon;
- No registration of a firearm, and;
- Possession of a restricted weapon.
Both are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.