A Winnipeg Police Service shoulder badge is seen at the Public Information Office in Winnipeg, on September 2, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)
Two separate bear spray attacks in Winnipeg on Wednesday morning have left at least eight people injured.
The first string of assaults began around 7:30 a.m. in the Osborne Village area, where six people were randomly targeted. Victims included a driver stopped at Stradbrook Avenue and Donald Street, a cyclist, a woman waiting at a bus stop, and several pedestrians in the areas of Donald Street, River Avenue, and Mayfair Place.
Police arrested Sumayah Lucille Chanelle Cook-Okemow, 20, in the 200 block of River Avenue. She faces six counts of assault with a weapon, among other charges, and remains in custody.
Roughly 30 minutes later, a second bear spray incident occurred near Bannatyne Avenue and Rorie Street, where a distressed teen allegedly attacked two women after noticing them looking in her direction. The 16-year-old girl was arrested shortly afterward on Main Street and faces multiple charges, including failing to comply with a sentence order.
Police believe additional victims may not yet have come forward and are asking anyone affected to contact investigators at (204) 986-2842.
The attacks are not believed to be connected.
