Accused Edmonton attacker won’t be released on bail yet

The man accused of carrying out a pair of attacks in Edmonton over the weekend made his first court appearance on Tuesday morning, and will remain in custody at least until his next bail hearing scheduled for November.

Abdulahi Hasan Sharif was to have a bail hearing on Tuesday, but arrived without a lawyer and did not make an effort to seek bail, according to news reports. The court pushed the matter to the middle of November.

He will still have the chance to file for release when he appears next month.

Sharif, a 30-year-old Somalian refugee who lives in Edmonton, is accused of running into four pedestrians and stabbing a police officer during a Saturday night.

Sharif is currently facing 11 criminal charges including five counts of attempted murder, criminal flight causing bodily harm, and driving and weapons charges. He has still not been charged with any terror-related offences, although those could be added at a later date.

In 2015, the RCMP opened an investigation into Sharif — who came to Canada as an asylum seeker in 2012 — for allegedly holding extremist views. However, there was insufficient evidence at the time for officers to lay charges, and they concluded that the man did not pose a threat to public safety.

A flag bearing the emblem of the Islamic State was found by police in the car allegedly used by Sharif in the rampage.

On Sunday, Edmonton Police Service searched the low-rise building where Sharif lived in the Prince Rupert neighbourhood, in the city’s northwest. Residents were surprised to learn he was their neighbour.

Other than the presence of an RCMP cruiser parking in the lot of Sharif’s building, the neighbourhood appeared calm, with children playing nearby.

Jeff Dearman, who lives on the floor above Sharif, moved to Edmonton a year ago to attend school. He said he would often hear loud music coming from the suspect’s apartment during the day and late into the night.

“It would go on for hours,” Dearman said.

Otherwise, he had only interacted with Sharif a couple of times, when they would hold the building door open for each other.

Grant Brunelle, a tenant in the adjoining building who said he’s lived there for 16 years, told VICE News he was woken up and questioned by an officer on Sunday as the searches were unfolding. He described the community as one of the nicest in the city.

The other tenants are generally quiet and keep to themselves, he said, even though the walls in the grey, three-level building are fairly thin.

“You don’t expect it to happen in Edmonton. But for it to happen next door to you, it’s really mind boggling,” said Brunelle. “This is the most action we’ve had ever since I’ve been here.”

Another tenant, Karen King, who lives across the hall from Sharif, said she often heard steady stream of visitors in and out of Sharif’s unit throughout the night. But she said she didn’t say much to him other than to complain about him parking too close to her car.

“He took two parking spots,” said King. “It’s like he didn’t care.”

When King heard that the suspect in Saturday’s attacks was Sharif, she said her first thought was: “Oh my gosh, I’ve got to get out of here.” She plans to move out by the end of the month, but said it’s because the building is getting noisier as more families move in.

Dearman, on the other hand, said he was nervous about living in the building after hearing about the Sharif’s charges. But he just signed a year-long lease and won’t be going anywhere soon.

“I’m locked in,” he said.