Ottawa police arrest suspect in Heron Gate grocery store stabbing

January 12, 2025 Canuck

The Ottawa Police Service is investigating a stabbing that happened inside a grocery store at Herongate Square on Saturday evening.

Police say in an email they responded to the 1600 block of Heron Road shortly before 7:10 p.m. to reports of a man with a knife.

Witnesses tell CTV News the incident occured inside the Food Basics store and a heavy police presence was seen in the area.

Ottawa paramedics say a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police say his injuries are considered non-life threatening.

A spokesperson for Metro and Food Basics confirmed no employees were injured in the incident but did not provide further details.

Officers also arrested a male suspect at the scene and believe there is no risk to public safety. The charges were not disclosed.

The Ottawa police robbery unit continues to investigate.

Residents voice safety concerns

Nearby residents like Matine Foomani say it’s not the first time they’ve heard of serious public safety issues in the area.

“I’m concerned,” he said. “I have a six-year-old and I’m concerned.”

Last year, a man was killed in a shooting on the other side of Herongate Square.

“I came to Canada as an immigrant to make sure I’m somewhere safe and this is what I see that is lacking now these days. I’m concerned about that and I hope that incidents like this are not going to happen all the time,” he said.

Others like Bruce Campion-Smith say it doesn’t raise any alarm bells for him.

“It is surprising,” he said of the incident. “We’re here probably once a week and never had any trouble, never seen any trouble.”

Resident Carly Rocheleau says she isn’t surprised by the stabbing, saying she feels there have been issues in the area for a while, but it doesn’t change anything for her.

“I’ve always felt safe in this area,” she said. “Despite everything that’s happening, I’ve never really felt unsafe coming here. I’ve never had any problems personally here.”

For Virginie Tashi it’s a different story. She says she recently bought a home in another area partly because of the issues in the area.

“I wouldn’t buy a house around this area if I had the possibility because there’s been some incidents around here that weren’t very comfortable and I wouldn’t say the place is 100 per cent safe,” she said.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Kimberley Johnson

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