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Ottawa Police Call Stabbing of Elderly Jewish Woman at Loblaws a Hate‑Motivated Crime

Police now classify the attack as hate‑motivated, with patrols increased around Jewish community sites.

The stabbing occurred inside the Loblaws — a major Canadian supermarket chain — located next to the Centrepointe/Craig Henry neighborhood, which is the city's "highest concentration of Jewish community." (Screenshot from Google Maps)
Jewish groups are calling for more to be done to address hate after the arrest of an Ottawa youth in an alleged plot against the Jewish community. The flags of Canada and Israel fly at half-mast at a community building on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Jewish woman seriously injured in Canada grocery store stabbing, police call it hate crime.
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Overview

  • Joseph (Joe) Rooke, 71, of Cornwall, was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon, with investigators saying additional charges are possible.
  • The victim, a woman in her 70s, suffered serious injuries in Wednesday’s attack at the College Square Loblaws on Baseline Road and was treated in hospital and released.
  • The OPS Hate and Bias Crime Unit is assisting, and detectives are reviewing store security footage and social‑media posts attributed to the accused that contain antisemitic statements.
  • Police say the suspect and victim were strangers and have directed officers to increase their presence in areas of significance to the Jewish community.
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier Doug Ford, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the stabbing, with calls for stronger action against antisemitism; Rooke is due back in court on Sept. 2.