A 71-year-old man has been charged after a Jewish woman in her 70s was stabbed in an unprovoked attack at a west-end grocery store in Ottawa, prompting condemnation from Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the Loblaws in Ottawa’s College Square, located on Baseline Road.
Ottawa police say the woman entered the store with a friend around 1:35 p.m. when she was approached and stabbed in the torso by a man later identified as Joseph (Joe) Rooke of Cornwall.
The female victim was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, treated, and later released. Police arrested the suspect at the scene without incident. Investigators confirmed that the suspect and victim were strangers, and the motive remains under investigation.
The Ottawa Police Service’s Hate and Bias Crime Unit is investigating.
Ford issued a statement Thursday expressing his outrage.
“I’m deeply disturbed by the violent attack that took place this week against a Jewish woman at an Ottawa grocery store,” Ford said.
“My thoughts are with the victim as well as Ottawa’s Jewish community. I pray she makes a full recovery. The Ottawa Police’s hate crimes unit has my full support as they carry out their investigation into this attack. Hate, violence and antisemitism have no place in our province.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ottawa police.