James Chow says he is still in an adrenaline rush a day after witnessing an attack at the University of Waterloo that police have described as “hate-motivated.” Waterloo Regional Police said officers were called to the school at 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday after a stabbing was reported at the school’s Hagey Hall. Officers found two women and a man suffering from stab wounds.
In an update Thursday, police said the gender studies class was “targeted” in what investigators believe was a “hate-motivated incident.” “I’m just feeling a bit angry … I personally was not injured from the attack – I was scared for my life – but I know that my professor and two of my classmates were injured,” said Chow, a graduate student in philosophy.
He was in the second row of seating when he says a man with a backpack came into the room near the end of class and began to talk to the professor. “He said to the teacher, ‘Oh, is this such and such psychology class?’ And the professor replied, ‘Oh no, you’re probably in the wrong class.’ Then he said, ‘Oh, what class is this?’ The professor replied, ‘This is a gender class’ or ‘philosophy of gender class.’” Chow says the man asked if he could stay and the professor asked him to leave. “While the man was listening to a reply, he put down his backpack in front of him at his feet, and he pulled out a knife.