Accused in University of Waterloo triple stabbings to return to court July 25

The 24-year-old man accused of stabbing three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo last month appeared via video in a Kitchener, Ont., courtroom Tuesday.

Geovanny Villalba-Aleman faces the following charges:

• Three counts of aggravated assault.
• Four counts of assault with a weapon.
• Two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
• Mischief under $5,000.

During the routine court appearance, Villalba-Aleman, appearing from the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, spoke only briefly to the judge to confirm details about himself. He is scheduled to return to court by video on July 25.

Viillalba-Aleman has no criminal record. He recently graduated from the university.

Villalba-Aleman is accused of entering a classroom in Hagey Hall and stabbing an instructor and two students on June 28. 

A 38-year-old female professor from Kitchener and two students — a 20-year-old female and a 19-year-old male, both from Waterloo — were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

In a news conference a day after the stabbings, Waterloo Regional Police Service Chief Mark Crowell described what happened in the classroom as a "planned and targeted attack" that was a "senseless act of hate."

The stabbing has prompted conversations on campus about safety, particularly after the WatSAFE app meant to alert students, faculty and staff about potentially dangerous situations did not work as intended on June 28.

The university has said it will host two community forums on July 17 to hear from staff and students about their concerns, and look for ways to "make campus safer and more inclusive, promote well-being and move forward together."