{"id":837058,"date":"2026-07-31T00:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T00:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/837058\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T00:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T00:41:11","slug":"shots-fired-at-winnipeg-mosque-with-people-inside-muslim-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/837058\/","title":{"rendered":"Shots fired at Winnipeg mosque with people inside: Muslim council"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bullet holes were found in the windows of a Winnipeg mosque that was targeted while people were inside Wednesday night, a Muslim organization says.<\/p>\n

The Rahma Islamic Centre on Watt Street released a statement on social media<\/a> condemning the “disturbing attack,” which “has deeply shaken our volunteers, community, children, and staff.”<\/p>\n

“Our centre exists to provide a place of community, belonging, and peace. To have that sense of safety violated by what appear to be deliberate acts of violence is profoundly disturbing.”<\/p>\n

It’s believed people in a vehicle fired shots at the mosque on Wednesday night, the National Council of Canadian Muslims \u2014 a non-profit that advocates for civil liberties and human rights \u2014 said in a news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Security video from that night showed two people later walking up to the centre, with one person attacking the building’s walls with what appears to be a blunt object, the council said.<\/p>\n

Winnipeg police say passing police officers saw freshly broken windows at the Rahma Islamic Centre at about 11:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Officers learned that earlier that night, a vehicle had driven by the mosque and a gun “was potentially discharged in the direction of the mosque,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a Thursday news release.<\/p>\n

\"BrokenWinnipeg police say passing officers noticed damaged windows at the mosque around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Rudy Gauer\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Later, two people walked up to the centre and broke more windows with an unknown object, police said. <\/p>\n

Police were told that before those incidents, the same two people had passed by the mosque earlier Wednesday night and shouted racist comments at people there.<\/p>\n

‘Everyone’s very shaken’<\/p>\n

Steven Zhou, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, says the people who attend the centre “have a tough time wrapping their heads around this kind of incident.”<\/p>\n

“We hear about things that happened in some other cities or whatever as an abstract problem, but I think everyone’s very shaken that this thing’s kind of hitting home.”<\/p>\n

Zhou says the council is noticing an uptick in anti-Muslim harassment across Canada, especially in the past month or so. <\/p>\n

“We’re kind of noticing almost like a kind of crisis moment with this problem across the country when it comes to threats, vandalism, various other kinds of harassment against Muslims across the country.”<\/p>\n

Winnipeg police are treating the incidents as potential-hate motivated crimes. No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made, a police spokesperson said. <\/p>\n

\"APolice say a firearm ‘was potentially discharged’ at the mosque. (Rudy Gauer\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Police say they intend to increase patrols and a police presence at the Islamic centre and in and around other mosques in the area. <\/p>\n

Damage to the mosque is estimated at more than $3,000, police said.<\/p>\n

Community representatives and elected officials spoke at a gathering at the mosque Thursday evening. <\/p>\n