Teen charged in Boxing Day machete attacks at Calgary Zoo parking lot
A 17-year-old 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 following an incident that took place on Tuesday.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., police say they responded to multiple 911 calls about a person swinging a machete at people and vehicles in the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo north parking lot.
One person suffered minor injuries and multiple vehicles were damaged in the attacks, which are believed to be random, according to a statement from police on Wednesday.
Police say the suspect was arrested on the Memorial Drive bridge, and he is believed to have been intoxicated by alcohol and drugs during the incident.
The teenage suspect cannot be named due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Calgary Police Service Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm said they are thankful to those who called 911 so that the violent incident could be resolved without "significant injury to members of the public."
"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," said Chisholm in Wednesday's statement.
Police encourage anyone affected by the incident to contact the Victim Assistance Support Team at (403) 428-8398 or toll-free at 1 (888) 327-7828.
