Woman dead, six in hospital after stabbing spree in North Vancouver

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The suspect is in custody and police are still working to determine a motive.

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Mar 27, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 2 minute read • 36 Comments

North Vancouver RCMP and B.C. Ambulance Service at the scene of a multiple stabbing at the Lynn Valley branch of the North Vancouver Public Library on Saturday, March 27. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

A woman has died and six people were taken to hospital after a mass stabbing at the Lynn Valley Library in North Vancouver early Saturday afternoon.

North Vancouver RCMP said “multiple victims” were attacked both inside and outside the library. A suspect is in custody and RCMP said there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team confirmed a woman died of her injuries and a male suspect in his 20s is in custody.

No other information is available about the other victims or the severity of their injuries.

Jang said the suspect has had previous interactions with police and has a criminal record. The motive for the stabbing spree is unknown.

Video captured by Sam Garrett and published on Twitter showed multiple officers restraining a man on the ground after he appeared to cut himself before collapsing.

Ethan Jackson works at a dental office near the library and said he heard a woman scream and when he later looked out the window he saw a man lying on the ground covering his face.

Jackson said there was blood around the man and he was being treated by paramedics.

Police at the scene of a fatal stabbing that also injured six other people in North Vancouver on Saturday. Photo by Shane MacKichan /for PNG

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered condolences to the victims in a tweet later on Saturday.

“My heart is in North Vancouver tonight. To everyone affected by this violent incident in Lynn Valley, know that all Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Amy Robertson of B.C. Emergency Health Services said first responders transported the patients to hospital after receiving a call at 1:46 p.m. on Saturday.

She said 11 ambulances and two supervising vehicles were deployed to the scene. Robertson wasn’t able to released details on the condition of the patients.

“We were driving up Lynn Valley Road, and there was a woman right beside her car with a seven-year-old boy, multiple stab wounds and bleeding profusely … She said it was a random stabber who was running down the street, so we immediately turned to go look for other victims. There was another 25-year-old woman with multiple stab wounds in the face,” witness Steve Mossop told Global News.

“There were at least six victims we could count within a 50-foot radius, so it was pretty traumatic. We were trying to find our daughter in the area, so it was a bit scary.”

IHIT’s Jang said investigators are asking for any video footage taken by witnesses at the scene, and are urging those who filmed the violence and the victims not to upload anything to social media but to provide it to police instead.

Anyone with information or footage is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).