Crown wants sword attack on Brandon student treated as terrorist act

By: Skye Anderson Posted: 6:00 AM CDT Thursday, May. 7, 2026

BRANDON — Federal prosecutors intend to apply for the rarely used terrorism provision of the Criminal Code in the case of a teenage male charged with attacking a student with a sword at Neelin High School in 2025.

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The section of the law allows an offender to be sentenced to life in prison upon conviction.

The 17-year-old Indigenous male is accused of stabbing Chinonso (Nonso) Onuke, who was 15 and in Grade 10 at the time, on June 10, 2025. The boy, whose family is from Nigeria, received deep cuts to his hands, chest and thigh.

TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN FILES
Chinonso (Nonso) Onuke was attacked by the suspect on June 10, 2025, suffering deep cuts to his hands, chest and thigh. — TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN FILES

Chinonso (Nonso) Onuke was attacked by the suspect on June 10, 2025, suffering deep cuts to his hands, chest and thigh.

The suspect, who was dressed in black and wore a mask with a long beak, allegedly chased another student and a staff member before police used a Taser to subdue him.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits the accused from being named. He is charged with three counts of attempted murder and two counts each of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and assault with a weapon. He is also charged with disguise with intent and aggravated assault.

The teen is scheduled to stand trial on all charges from June 7 to 25, 2027 in Brandon’s Court of King’s Bench. Defence lawyer Bob Harrison said his client has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A federal prosecutor told the Brandon Sun on Wednesday that the little-used provision in the Criminal Code would be invoked in the case.

“The Public Prosecution Service of Canada provided notice of their intention to seek the application of 83.27(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada,” Crown attorney Jennifer Comack said in an email.

If the application is granted, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada will argue that the offences constitute an act of terrorism, and the court would be allowed to sentence the accused to life in prison, federal lawyer Judy Kliewer told the Brandon Sun.

Police described the attack as a “targeted act of hate,” specifically against people of colour and immigrants.

Chief Tyler Bates told a news conference 10 days after the crime that officers had “uncovered a significant amount of evidence that indicates the suspect’s political and racial ideologies were motivating factors in this (alleged) crime.”

MATT GOERZEN / THE BRANDON SUN FILES
Brandon police describe the attack on Onuke as a “targeted act of hate.” — MATT GOERZEN / THE BRANDON SUN FILES

Brandon police describe the attack on Onuke as a “targeted act of hate.”

Roughly a week after the incident, a judge ordered a mental-health assessment to determine the accused’s mental state and whether he had a psychological disorder, emotional disturbance, learning disability or mental disability.

In September 2025, the Crown gave notice of its intention to seek an adult sentence if the accused is found or pleaded guilty.

Section 83.27 of the Criminal Code was applied in a Quebec case involving a homeless man charged with uttering threats.

In July 2025, the attorney general granted federal prosecutors permission to use the terrorism provision against Mohamed Abdullah Warsame. The 51-year-old was charged after he allegedly told an employee at a shelter that he wanted to build bombs to detonate on public transit in Montreal.

— Brandon Sun