A security guard was stabbed at a Manitoba Housing complex next to Central Park in Winnipeg’s downtown on Tuesday evening.
Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers found the 30-year-old guard with upper-body wounds at about 7:45 p.m. in a common area of the Edmonton Street building, police said Friday.
The Free Press has confirmed the stabbing occurred at 420-424 Edmonton St., a 16-storey public housing building located at the corner of Sargent Avenue.
The victim was taken to hospital in stable condition.
Police said investigators learned the victim and a woman he did not know got into an argument that escalated and the woman pulled out a bladed weapon and assaulted him before fleeing.
Police spokesman Const. Pat Saydak said the argument was a personal dispute, not related to a security issue at the complex. However, he said, such violence against a guard is concerning.
“We want people to be safe, no matter (what) profession they’re in,” said Saydak.
A man staying at the public housing complex with his 79-year-old mother, who has been a resident for nearly 30 years, said he had not heard about the stabbing — but wasn’t surprised to learn there had been an attack.
“This building’s been pretty dangerous for a while now,” said the 51-year-old, who asked that his name be withheld out of safety concerns.
“I’ve been trying to find a place with my mom, to get her out of here.”
He said the building’s stairwells are particularly dangerous, and non-tenants often hang around inside and outside of the complex.
Building security guards stay in their booth at the door most of the time, he said.
“Even they’re scared,” he said.
Housing Minister Bernadette Smith said her heart goes out to the victim “who was injured while working to keep Manitoba Housing tenants safe.”
“We support the police investigation underway, and our government is working to establish additional permanent security officers for three Manitoba Housing buildings in Central Park, including 420-424 Edmonton,” Smith said in a prepared statement Friday.
“We are continuing to increase security measures in Manitoba Housing properties with security upgrades, including floor-by-floor security cameras and card-access systems, as well as building in wrap-around supports for tenants.”
It was not immediately clear Friday whether the guard was contracted from a private company or a Manitoba Housing security staffer. Provincial spokespeople were unable to answer questions about security issues at Manitoba Housing.
Saydak said investigators do not yet know whether the suspect was a tenant of the building. No one has been arrested.
Major crimes detectives have since taken over the investigation and have asked anyone with information to call their office at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 204-786-8477.
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Erik Pindera
Reporter
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
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