I’m deeply concerned by the assault of a student while using the LRT public transit system on Saturday night, April 24, 2021. Although preliminary accounts suggest that the attack was not racially motivated, we want to reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our diverse university community.
We can report that the University of Alberta student involved is recovering, and U of A student services are supporting the student. The suspect has been arrested and I appreciate the work of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and hope that their investigation will provide clarity on the incident. U of A Protective Services continues to support EPS’ investigation of the public transit incident.
The safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority. I encourage any student affected by this incident to reach out to U of A student services (dosdean@ualberta.ca).
Bill Flanagan
President and Vice-chancellor
Background: Transit stations are the property of Edmonton Transit Service (ETS). Emergency phone / buttons at transit stations connect individuals with ETS security, who then activate the appropriate response. For incidents involving public transit close to U of A campuses, U of A Protective Services (UAPS) provides ETS/EPS support if or as needed. For the April 24, 2021 incident, UAPS were on site within minutes of being notified by EPS, who were already on scene with an ambulance.