The co-owner of a Saanich hotel is facing aggravated assault charges after a gory rampage inside the inn on Saturday night.

Witnesses said there was “blood everywhere” after five employees were stabbed in the Red Lion Inn and Suites on 3366 Douglas Street. Police arrested a man who had barricaded himself in a hotel office. The man turned out to be hotel co-owner, Wally Meng.

“All five victims were shocked,” said Saanich police Sgt. Chris Horsley. “This was random and unexpected. They turned around and he was stabbing them.”

Employee Ron Schinners said in a video, which he posted after the incident, that he was cooking when he turned around to see a fellow employee cry out for help.

“He said, ‘Ron, call 911, call 911!’” Schinners said. “I’m like, ‘Why?’ Then I saw down on his right side, a puncture hole with blood coming out.”

Schinners said the victim, another cook, was stabbed when he was asleep, so he couldn’t identify the person who cut him.

“It’s like, OK, he doesn’t know who stabbed him, so do we have some crazy guy running around in the… hotel?” Schinners said.

Schinners also said three people were stabbed in their arms, a fourth was stabbed in the stomach, and a fifth was attacked at the hotel’s reception.

“The suspect appears to have stabbed his first victims in the lower level restaurant of the Red Lion where staff were relaxing between shifts,” said Horsley. “The suspect then moved to the kitchen area where staff were working and stabbed a kitchen employee.”

Horsley said staff were stabbed as they came into the restaurant. A front desk worker was stabbed as well.

“We’ve confirmed through the victims that they all know the person who’s attacked them,” Horsley said, adding that police have dealt with Meng many times in relation to the bar.

All victims were taken to the hospital, and have since been released.

Officers locked down the building on Saturday and told some guests to stay in their rooms.

“I was surprised, I saw the guy bleeding, the cops came, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Siyad Afndi.

Meng, 52, co-owns at least four hotels in the Victoria area, including the Red Lion, the Capital City Centre Hotel, Helm’s Inn, and the Travelers Inn at 1961 Douglas Street. Some are owned with his partner Jamie Wu.

Meng bought the Travelers Inn for $6.325 million in 2011.

Police wouldn’t speculate as to a motive for the stabbing, but said they had asked for Meng to undergo a psychological review.

The Red Lion has reopened.