Accused in University of Waterloo stabbings charged with attempted murder, added to other counts

A 24-year-old former student faces an additional charge — attempted murder — in connection with the June stabbings inside a University of Waterloo, Ont., classroom, police said Friday.

Two students and an instructor were stabbed in a gender-studies class in what police have called "a hate-motivated incident related to gender expression and gender identity."

Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, a recent graduate, was previously charged with:

• Aggravated assault (three counts).
• Assault with a weapon (four counts). 
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose (two counts).
• Mischief under $5,000.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is still investigating the incident, which took place in a gender-studies class in Hagey Hall.

Students, associate prof injured 

Some 40 students were inside the classroom at the time of the stabbings.

A 38-year-old female associate professor from Kitchener and two students — a 20-year-old female and a 19-year-old male, both from Waterloo — were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

WRPS Chief Mark Crowell previously said a man who was not a member of the class entered around 3:30 p.m. ET and spoke with the professor "before attacking her with two large knives without provocation." Some people in the class tried to stop what was happening, while others fled the room, he said.

While students were attempting to escape, two students were stabbed and there was an attempt to stab a third student, who was not injured, Crowell said.

"The accused was located by police within the building and arrested." 

University officials said the in-house emergency alert system didn't work as expected after the stabbings.

Rebecca Elming, a university spokesperson, confirmed the WatSAFE app sent an alert to students 90 minutes after the incident.