Woman stabbed in 'completely random' attack at Olive Garden: Winnipeg Police
A woman is in hospital with traumatic injuries after she was repeatedly stabbed in what police describe as a completely random and unprovoked attack.
The attack happened around 8 p.m. at an Olive Garden restaurant in the first 100 block of Reenders Drive on Thursday.
Investigators say a man went into the restaurant at 7 p.m. that evening and stayed for about an hour as a customer.
"Without warning or provocation, the suspect approached the victim and repeatedly stabbed her in the upper body, causing severe injuries, before fleeing on foot," Const. Claude Chancy, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service, told media.
"The suspect and the victim are not previously known to one another, and investigators believe that the attack was completely random and unprovoked."
Chancy said the attack was violent and quick.
"This is something that is random in nature, something that could not have been predicted, and something you could not have been ready for," he said.
A spokesperson for Olive Garden confirmed to CTV News that it was an employee who was injured in the stabbing.
“We are thankful that our team member is expected to make a full recovery, and we are grateful to the first responders who responded so quickly,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“Our focus is on supporting our injured team member and all team members in the restaurant. We will continue to assist local authorities with their investigation.”
The company said the restaurant would be open for normal business hours.
Police say the suspect was found a few blocks away in the 1500 block of Regent Avenue and arrested after a brief struggle. Police say he had a knife with him when he was arrested.
The victim in the attack, an 18-year-old woman, was taken to hospital in unstable condition, but her condition has since been upgraded. Chancy said there were Good Samaritans who witnessed the stabbing and helped the woman until emergency crews arrived.
"We certainly would like to thank those Good Samaritans that approached and selflessly helped the victim, because these injuries were quite traumatic injuries that needed immediate emergency assistance," he said.
Shawn Jeffrey, CEO of Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association says violence in restaurants is rare.
"It’s about hospitality its about having fun and enjoying yourself,” Jeffery said. “To have something of this nature to happen inside of a restaurant it's pretty much unheard of."
He says concerns of violence in restaurants are rising.
“I think we are doing everything we can but I am hearing that the new trend is that our industry is having to hire security guards and additional security for this."
Ron Christensen has lived in the area for almost 50 years. He says while property crime is common - violence is not.
"It is in the area but I guess it's all over.” he said. "Just like everything else it's a concern but I'm ok here."
Christensen says he feels safe in the neighbourhood - despite the recent violence.
Police say Robert Alan Ingram, 27, is facing charges of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and failure to comply with a probation order. The charges against him have not been proven in court.
Ingram had been previously arrested in 2020 for 14 separate fires, including at St. Boniface Hospital. He was charged with 18 counts of arson with damage to property.
- With files from CTV's Taylor Brock
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
WestJet, mechanics union agree to tentative deal to avoid strike
A potential strike between WestJet and its mechanics union appears to have been avoided.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.