A six-year-old boy was repeatedly stabbed in downtown Halifax on Sunday afternoon, suffering life-threatening injuries. Police have identified the suspect as 19-year-old Elliott Chorny, who was arrested at the scene minutes after the attack.
Const. Martin Cromwell of the Halifax Regional Police confirmed Monday that Chorny was already known to authorities and had been recently charged in connection with an assault on January 27. At the time of that charge, court documents listed Chorny as having no fixed address.
Chorny appeared in Halifax provincial court Monday afternoon, facing charges of:
- Attempted murder
- Possession of a dangerous weapon
She has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 13.
The attack occurred around 1:20 PM on Barrington Street, just north of Halifax’s busy downtown area.
According to police, the boy was with his parents when he was stabbed multiple times. He was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not provided an update on his condition.
“This is a very, very tragic incident,” said Cromwell. “The victim is a little boy.”
Cromwell stated there is no evidence suggesting Chorny knew the child or that the attack was motivated by hate. However, police have not disclosed what may have led to the stabbing.
When asked whether the family had been waiting at a nearby bus stop, Cromwell said he could not confirm their exact whereabouts at the time of the attack.
Authorities are urging witnesses to come forward, particularly those who may have seen the attack or captured dash-camera footage from passing vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Halifax Regional Police or Crime Stoppers.