Accused in Edmonton city hall attack faces terrorism charges

Terrorism charges have been laid in the case of an Edmonton security guard accused of firing a rifle and lobbing firebombs inside city hall in January.

The Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) charged the man Saturday with counselling commission of a terrorism offence and possession of property for terrorist purposes, said RCMP in a news release.

INSET said those charges are in conjunction with nine others that constitute terrorism offences, including intentionally or recklessly causing damage by fire or explosion to property knowing the property was inhabited, intentionally possessing incendiary material while committing an indictable offence, using a firearm while committing an indictable offence and intentionally discharging a firearm while being reckless as to the life and safety of another person.

During the Jan. 23 city hall attack, a gunman entered the civic building through the parkade, fired a rifle and tossed a homemade Molotov cocktail before surrendering to an unarmed security guard.

Charges laid by the Edmonton Police Service include possession of incendiary material, arson, throwing explosives with intent to cause harm and reckless use of a weapon.

“The criminal investigation is ongoing and now before the court and, as such, the RCMP will not be making any further comments at this time,” RCMP said in the Monday news release.

City council chamber remains closed to the public.

When it reopens, city manager Andre Corbould has said the public should expect to see some changes to security.

This could include having to pass through metal detectors to go inside the civic building.

Two metal detectors were set up inside the lobby at the south entrance to the building near the fountain in Churchill Square.

On Monday, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the new security measures are meant to be as non-intrusive as possible.

“We want to make sure that such events are avoided in the future,” Sohi said.

“It was a very traumatic event. Reflecting back on it, (I'm) very appreciative how security guards, Edmonton Police Service, fire rescue, everyone came together and reacted so promptly to avoid the disaster that it could have been.”

The attack left bullet holes in walls, destroyed six glass banisters and one exterior window and left burn marks on the atrium floor. No one was injured.

The estimated cost of the repairs to city hall is $100,000.

When asked about the terrorism charges Monday, Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell said he is interested in the outcome of the court process, adding the event has changed the way city council operates and how Edmontonians access their civic government.

“Good, because that was effectively what he was trying to do,” Cartmell told reporters. “He was trying to scare people dramatically. He was trying to terrorize and he did terrorize, and so he should be charged with that.

“In the meantime, we have a tremendous amount of work on our plate and we need to get to it.”

COURT APPEARANCE

The accused, and the guard who arrested him, were Canadian Corps of Commissionaires employees. Commissionaires said the man started with the company in 2019 and worked at locations around Edmonton, though never at city hall.

The man appears to be the same person in a manifesto-style video posted to Youtube the day of the shooting. The video, titled Rise Up, shows a man in the driver's seat of a car wearing a Commissionaires jacket. He tells viewers he is about to complete a “mission” and that he is “not a psychopath” or “one of these monsters that hurt children.” The rest of the video addresses a disjointed series of topics, including corruption, inflation, immigration, the cost of housing, “the wokeism disease” and “the genocide that's going on in Gaza and throughout the world.”

Court records show the man lived in a Clareview-area apartment. It is unknown whether he lived alone, though the man in the video references having a wife and children.

Bezhani Sarvar, 28, is facing six criminal charges.

He remains in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. Sarvar did not speak during a court appearance last month.

INSET teams were created to track and prevent criminal activities of terrorist groups or individuals who pose a threat to Canada's national security, according to Public Safety Canada. INSET in Alberta includes employees of the RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, Calgary Police Service, Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.