A male youth was arrested after swinging a machete in a crowd and injuring two people in the north parking lot of Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Tuesday night. Several vehicles were damaged in the attack that transpired at approximately 6:30 p.m. as people arrived at the popular destination for its annual Zoo Lights event. The suspect likely arrived by CTrain before wielding a sharp, heavy knife at people and vehicles. He was seen walking out of the train station into the busy parking lot "swinging a machete," Calgary Police Services (CPS) told the Western Standard.Calgary Police Service (CPS) dispatched to the scene after receiving several 911 reports of a disturbance in the parking lot.One person sustained minor injuries and multiple vehicles were damaged in what are believed to be random attacks. Upon arrival, police located a suspect and arrested him on the Memorial Drive bridge. It is believed the suspect was intoxicated by drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident.The suspect, 17, has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of mischief to property and three counts of breach of release conditions. .He cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The suspect will next appear in court on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024..“We are grateful to the several bystanders who called 911 so this violent incident could be resolved quickly and without significant injury to members of the public,” said Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm of the Calgary Police Service. “It is always a concern when incidents like this occur in public spaces and threaten the safety of people who are out to enjoy the day with their families. We continue to work with our partners across Calgary to ensure the safety of public spaces and apprehend violent offenders so they can be held accountable for their actions.”
