A Canadian teenager who allegedly stabbed three people at a Toronto massage parlor in February, killing one, was charged Tuesday with allegedly committing “incel”-inspired terrorism, authorities said.
The 17-year-old suspect, who has not been identified because of his age, has already been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Feb. 24 incident, the Toronto Police Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.
Those charges were updated Tuesday to include terrorist activity, the statement said.
Incels — or involuntary celibates — are known to promote a misogynistic ideology, often through online message boards. A van attack in Toronto two years ago that left 10 people dead also appears to have been carried out by a man who promoted incel beliefs.
The suspect in that attack, Alek Minassian, allegedly admitted to police that his actions were in retribution for years of sexual rejection, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
A judge has said the case will focus on Minassian’s state of mind at the time of the attack and not whether he did it, the CBC reported.
An earlier statement about the massage parlor stabbing said the incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. in a neighborhood north of downtown Toronto. A police official confirmed the alleged attack was carried out at Crown Spa, an erotic massage parlor.
Authorities found the body of Ashley Noelle Arzaga, 24, inside the spa. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A man and woman with multiple stab wounds were also found outside the massage parlor, police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how authorities determined the teen was allegedly motivated by incel beliefs. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The Canadian news site Global News reported that the case was the first time terrorism charges had been filed in the country in connection with alleged incel-related crime.