Police in a Montreal suburb are investigating an armed assault at the Longueuil courthouse on Tuesday.
Longueuil police say the victim, a man in his 60s, suffered serious injuries during the violent incident at around noon.
He was stabbed in the upper body with an edged weapon.
“We fear for his life,” police spokesperson Melanie Mercille said on Tuesday afternoon.
A 43-year-old man was arrested at the scene and could face charges of attempted murder, police say.
Mercille would not confirm reports the victim was a court employee. It is not known whether the suspect was at the courthouse for a hearing.
Mercille did confirm, however, that the victim and suspect did not know each other.
“The motives and circumstances surrounding this event, remain to be established,” police said in a translated social media post.
The Syndicat des Constables, the union representing special constables who work at the courthouse, told Global News the incident could have been avoided.
Union president Franck Perales claims they’ve been asking Quebec’s Public Security Ministry for years to add metal detectors, arguing the need for more security.
“If this metal detector was in place in Longueuil, this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
The second floor of the building, where the stabbing happened, was closed off to the public for the investigation.
Hearings scheduled in that section were moved to the first floor.
Mercille said the second floor should reopen by Wednesday.
Global News has reached out to Quebec’s public security and justice ministries for comment, but has yet to hear back.
— With files from Global News’ Gloria Henriquez
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