The Vancouver Police Department is investigating two serious incidents that both occurred Wednesday morning which left one person dead and another with “life-altering injuries”.
Officers responded to reports of a man who had been attacked near Cathedral Square at Richards and Dunsmuir Streets at 7:38am Wednesday morning.
“Officers found a man in his 50s who had been attacked with a knife, was bleeding from the head, and had suffered a severed hand. The man was taken to hospital for emergency treatment and is expected to survive,” said Sgt. Steve Addison in a release.
Just eight minutes later at 7:46am, police responded to West Georgia and Hamilton Streets after a second man was attacked.
Despite efforts to save his life, the man died at the scene. The victim’s identity and age have not yet been confirmed.
Several social media posts show a heavy police presence near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The area has been taped off and a body is underneath a white tarp.
Major police scene outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver. Police and first responders on scene, and a tarp is covering a body in the plaza. pic.twitter.com/KxmGDOwQuN
— Tarnjit Kaur Parmar (@Tarnjitkparmar) September 4, 2024
“Attacks like these shake our collective sense of comfort and safety, and we’re grateful that a suspect was quickly taken into custody by our officers, ” says VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer.
“Although it will take time before we have all of the answers, it does not appear either victim knew the suspect, and we believe these attacks were completely random.”
As police started to collect evidence, officers obtained images of the suspect, confirmed the two incidents were linked, and began searching for him.
The suspect was located just after 9am on Habitat Island near Olympic Village. Police received reports that a man “behaving erratically” had approached a stranger and began yelling at him.
The suspect, a 34-year-old White Rock resident, is now in police custody.
“I applaud the witnesses who called police immediately and provided timely information,” added Chief Palmer. “I am also extremely proud of the brave VPD officers who responded quickly to tend to the victims, to gather evidence, to arrest the suspect, and to stop this imminent public safety threat.”
Witnesses and anyone with information are asked to call Vancouver Police Homicide at 604-717-2500.
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