Two men who used to work with the Edmonton man accused of a rampage through the city last weekend say they’re shocked to hear of the charges laid against him.
READ MORE: Abdulahi Sharif charged with attempted murder in Edmonton attacks
Abdulahi Sharif, 30, is charged with five counts of attempted murder, five counts of criminal flight causing bodily harm, dangerous driving and possession of a weapon. He’s accused of ramming a car into a police officer outside Commonwealth Stadium Saturday night before jumping out and stabbing the officer. Police said he fled and allege he later drove a cube van through downtown Edmonton, deliberately striking four pedestrians.
READ MORE: Who is Abdulahi Sharif?
“Allan” (who did not want his real name used for safety reasons) said he worked with Sharif from November 2014 to August 2015 at a general labour camp in Fort McMurray.
“He didn’t really interact with a whole lot of people outside of the work environment outside of camp,” he said.
“We would eat some meals together with the labourers and we would have group conversations, but nothing abnormal would come up.”
Allan said Sharif told him that he was fortunate to have left Somalia.
His co-worker said Sharif never said anything extremist and didn’t exhibit any angry or violent behaviour.
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“I remember him talking about really disliking Shiite Muslims at one point,” he said.
In general, Allan said Sharif had a good attitude and was shocked to hear he is accused of such serious crimes.
“For him, I specifically remember this job was the first time in his life he was ever making money where he felt like, ‘I’m doing a job and I’m getting paid a fair, reasonable wage for what I’m doing,’” he said.
“Sam” (another co-worker who did not want his real name used for safety reasons) said he met Sharif in late 2014 to early 2015 and the pair worked together for a couple of months in Fort McMurray.
READ MORE: Abdulahi Sharif, accused in Edmonton attacks, ordered deported to Somalia in 2011: U.S. officials
He said Sharif was a proud Muslim, but otherwise did not speak much about his personal life.
“Just normal work conversation. I remember he was a pretty nice guy,” Sam said.
“He told me a few times he was glad to be working out there in the field, that he was glad he finally had a job that paid him a decent wage for what he was doing. He was glad to be out of unemployment.”
However, Sam said Sharif made a remark once that struck him as unusual.
“He told me he absolutely disliked the American, Canadian governments and everything that they did internationally.”
Despite that, the former co-worker said he felt very comfortable with Sharif and felt like Sharif “had his back.”
“We got along pretty well. I saw that guy pretty much every day when I was up there. It’s just hard to process.”
RELATED: Edmonton terror attacks: Abdulahi Sharif makes 1st court appearance
Sharif is in custody and made his first court appearance Tuesday. He’s scheduled to be back in court Nov. 14.
-With files from Global News