A Winnipeg mosque says its building was shot at and damaged in an incident now being investigated by Winnipeg police hate crime coordinators. The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said it received a report of damage to the Rahma Islamic Centre on Watt Steet shortly after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police said multiple windows were shattered, with damages estimated at more than $3,000. Const. Claude Chancy, a WPS public information officer, said earlier that evening it was reported that a vehicle drove past the centre while its occupants shouted “racially derogatory names” at patrons. In a statement posted to social media, the mosque alleges two individuals fired shots at the centre from a vehicle before attacking the premises with another weapon that broke glass. It adds the individuals who yelled racial slurs earlier at people gathered at the centre are believed to be the same attackers. “This attack has deeply shaken our volunteers, community, children, and staff,” reads a statement from the facility, which says it occurred while community members were inside. “Our centre exists to provide a place of community, belonging, and peace. To have that sense of safety violated by what appears to be deliberate acts of violence is profoundly disturbing.” The statement adds that the individuals were unable to enter the premises, and that no one was injured. The Major Crimes Unit’s hate crime coordinators have been assigned to investigate. No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made, Chancy said.
