A man wielding an axe attacked worshippers at a mosque in Canada with bear spray during Saturday morning prayers.
Local media revealed that one worshipper knocked the axe from the man's hands, and held him down until police arrived.
The 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene in the suburb of Mississauga, and he has since been charged.
Furthermore, the mosque's imam noted that some congregants suffered minor injuries from the bear spray.
One of the worshippers said the experience was "terrifying" and described hearing a scream before turning around to see a man holding an axe and using bear spray - similar to pepper spray - against three people.
https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1505301818083094528
"By the time he was spraying, the people in the first row realized something was going on and one of the young men turned around and knocked away the axe before he had a chance to use it," Noorani Sairally told Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.
"Before he could inflict harm on any worshippers, several congregants bravely were able to stop him in his tracks," imam Ibrahim Hindy said in a statement, describing the moment the attacker entered the site.
"Our community will never be broken and we refuse to be intimated," he added.
On his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attack, which he described as "incredibly disturbing" and applauded the courage of the worshippers at the mosque.
https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1505260979462025221
Police have pointed out that the man's name was Mohammad Moiz Omar, adding that he was charged with six offences including assault with a weapon.
Following initial uncertainty over a possible motive, investigators now say they believe the attack was a "hate-motivated incident."
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