And no one has commented on the fact that there was a likely terrorist attack in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday evening (likely because while the putz had an ISIS flag in his car, motive has not yet been finalized. We're kinda funny that way up here in Canada. We actually have to have a more than circumstantial link before the authorities will lay a terror related charge.).
First, the guy drives by Commonwealth Stadium while a CFL game is being played and runs over a traffic control barricade and a police officer. Then, he jumps out of his car, rushes the police officer and stabs him a number of times. The whole time the cop is being attacked, he covers his weapon to make sure the bad guy doesn't get it. The guy then runs away, leaving his car (with the registration documents left in the car -- so now they know who this putz is) behind. The cop is taken to hospital, treated and sent home -- sore but otherwise physically OK.
4 hours later, at a Check-Stop (looking for drunk drivers), a U-Haul van is stopped. The police officer who is interviewing the driver recognizes the name on the driver's license as the same as what was left behind in the car at Commonwealth Stadium. When this cop calls for backup, the U-Haul van drives away. It heads towards Jasper Avenue (main street in downtown Edmonton). At high speeds, the driver tries to run down pedestrians, hitting 4, before the police execute a tactical maneuver to flip the van on its side and end the episode. They break the windshield (I guess the guy isn't getting his damage deposit back), toss in a stun grenade and then Taser the guy to disable him.
The bad guy is a 30 year old Somali refugee who came to Canada in 2012 after having been ordered deported to Somalia by a US judge. Apparently, his stay in an ICE facility in San Diego was going to be too long, so he was released and the disappeared from US authorities. He came to Canada, crossed legally into our country and claimed refugee status, which was granted. His application raised no red flags. In 2015, he was investigated for having expressed radical thoughts. However, thoughts are not illegal in Canada and he was let go. He was deemed to be no threat.
Now the good news. This guy, as I described, is a putz. The football game was well in progress when he arrived at the stadium. There were very few people outside the stadium. Had he waited until the end of the game, he could have done much more damage. AND, it was military appreciation night at the game. He could have made a huge political statement had he waited.
As for the U-Haul van attack on Jasper Avenue. Thankfully, it was kind of early (just after midnight). Again, had he waited until the bars closed, there would have been way more people on the streets. Or, he could have gone down to Whyte Avenue on the south side where there would have been more people (way more bars down there than downtown). Whyte Avenue may have been his ultimate destination had he not been stopped at the Check-Stop but I'll never know.
Thankfully, the human damage was only 5 people injured. And, there were no firearms used. I would hate to see how many more might have been injured had there been bullets flying around.
Anyways, that's what I woke up to on Sunday morning. I knew nothing of this until I got to work on Sunday because I was too busy getting laid.