'Politically motivated crime' led to terrorism charges in Edmonton City Hall shooting
CTV
The Edmonton City Hall attack in January was a politically motivated crime, the RCMP said on Tuesday.
The Edmonton City Hall attack in January was a politically motivated crime, the RCMP said on Tuesday.
Bezhani Sarvar, 28, was charged with two terrorism offences on Monday in addition to nine provincial charges linked to the Edmonton City Hall attack.
In its investigation, the RCMP executed search warrants and analyzed electronics but said it cannot specify the evidence that supported terrorism charges.
"Our investigation ultimately determined that the actions of Mr. Sarvar were believed to be politically motivated and therefore reached the legal threshold required to support the terrorism charges that were ultimately laid," Supt. Glenn Sells, the officer in charge of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), explained on Tuesday.
Sarvar is accused of firing shots inside city hall and throwing a Molotov cocktail. No one was injured.
Sells said police recovered an SKS assault-style rifle, three prohibited rifle magazines, approximately 150 rounds of ammunition and four gasoline-filled Molotov cocktails.
"This certainly highlights the risk posed to the public and the amount of damage that could've been done that day," the superintendent said.
