Stabbings at University of Waterloo send 3 to hospital, 1 person in custody

Three people were taken to hospital and one person was in custody after stabbings inside a classroom at the University of Waterloo in southern Ontario on Wednesday afternoon, police said. 

The attack happened inside Hagey Hall, Const. Brad Hickey of the Waterloo Regional Police Service told CBC News in an email.

Hours later, Waterloo Supt. Shaena Morris told reporters that the injured were considered to be in non-life-threatening condition.

"I can also confirm that this incident is contained entirely within the university community itself," Morris said on Wednesday night.

"There is no further threat to public safety — either on campus or outside in the broader community — at this time."

Morris said the incident remains under investigation.

Police haven't released any information about the identities of the injured individuals.

But Nick Manning, the university's associate vice-president of communications, said Wednesday evening that two of the injured were students and the other was a professor.

"This is a big shock," Manning said.

He said the incident occurred in a classroom where a second-year class was underway, Philosophy 202, which is described in the university's calendar as a course on gender issues.

In a series of tweets earlier Wednesday, the university said it is supporting police in their investigation. 

Jackson Yan said he witnessed the arrest of the suspect. 

"He was in [Hagey Hall], I saw him with the cuffs behind him," the University of Waterloo student told CBC News. 

"Initially we ended up barricading the doors, but when we got the clearance, we stepped outside and took a look around. I was on the third floor and I saw the guy get arrested."