Two young people are facing a total of 40 weapon-related charges after a series of bear spray attacks in Cornwall, Ontario, on July 27, 2026.
The Cornwall Police Service says a 15-year-old from Cornwall and a 14-year-old from Williamstown were arrested the same day after allegedly spraying five people with bear spray at several locations around the city. Each youth has been charged with five counts each of assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, administering a noxious substance, and failing to comply with a youth sentence order.
Police say both youths were already under court orders that banned them from having any weapon. The attackers are accused of first targeting someone they knew, spraying that person in the eyes before running away. They then allegedly went on to spray four strangers in separate incidents, including one on Cornwall’s waterfront trail. A third young person was taken into custody at first but was let go without charges after the investigation.
Anne Whyte, a woman from South Glengarry, told the Standard-Freeholder she was walking near the Bergin Avenue intersection on the waterfront trail when the attackers approached on bikes and sprayed her in the face. “Suddenly a bike came across that I hadn’t noticed before … he sprayed me in the face … I was having trouble breathing,” she said.
The two charged youths were held in police custody for bail hearings. On July 28, police also charged a 12-year-old from Cornwall with 15 similar offences linked to the same events. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the names of the accused cannot be made public.
Bear spray is only legal in Canada when it is labelled and carried for defence against animals. Using it on a person is treated as assault with a weapon and administering a noxious substance.
