Man faces murder charge for North Vancouver stabbing rampage

Article content

A 28-year-old man faces a murder charge for Saturday’s mass stabbing at the Lynn Valley Library in North Vancouver that left one woman dead and six people injured.

All day Sunday, a steady stream of people braced stormy weather to place flowers at a makeshift memorial  between the library and the Browns Socialhouse restaurant next door. Along with several businesses near the library, the Socialhouse was closed on Sunday.

The mayor of the District of North Vancouver, Mike Little, said more stories of people who acted as heroes by  stepping up to help will be emerging in the coming days as the neighbourhood comes together to begin healing.

He said staff at Browns Socialhouse “gave refuge to people that were running, and some injured people. There was a very badly injured person who ended up in the restaurant as well.”

“They had a front row to a very dramatic scene, so we’re trying to make sure that the proper resources get to support those people,” he said.

Article content

“Anybody in the community that witnessed this or that just feels a heaviness from it, we encourage you to get professional help. The RCMP crisis line is available to people if they want to talk and we also have other local resources as well.”

Police have not identified the woman who died, but said she was in her late 20s. The injuries of the six other victims vary in severity, but all are expected to survive.

Yannick Bandaogo was charged Sunday with second-degree murder. Police said he had undergone surgery for self-inflicted stab wounds. Police said they were trying to identify his background, his history in B.C., his relationship to the victims, if any, and his motive for the attack.

Darren Hailes said he arrived in the area after finishing up a run with some friends and someone approached him to ask if he had first aid training. He did and went to help.

“We weren’t immediately aware of the violence that had just taken place because the area was so calm,” Hailes recounted on Sunday.

He said he later talked to a man who tried to lure the attacker away from other people in the library.

“Realizing he wasn’t going to be able to intervene and stop a man with a knife on his own, he immediately began to back away and to call the attacker toward him.”

The man backed through the library lobby and down the street and he was there when the police arrested the suspect, Hailes said.

“People are upset about it,” said Little. “This is the kind of place that people come to with their families. It’s our library and civic space. We give out awards to kids in the area. We have many community concerts here, so people feel like it could have happened to anyone.”

Article content

Toggle full screen mode Previous Gallery Image

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 

19. 

20. 

21. 

22. 

23. 

24. 

25. 

26. 

27. 

28. 

29. 

30. 

31. 

32. 

33. 

34. 

35. 

36. 

Next Gallery Image Toggle gallery captions

All 36 Photos for Gallery

Some who came tucked handmade cards into bags to protect against the rain and put them into the pile of flowers.

Jordan McCarthy, a first-year university student, was with a small group of young women, some in Grade 12, who all work at Browns.

While others came and went, they lingered longer to be together and think.

“Speaking for myself, I think growing up here, we’re all pretty close. It’s a really close community,” said McCarthy. “I think (this is) just showing as much support as possible. So spending time here and bringing flowers. It means a lot.”

Some had been at work at the restaurant when the stabbings happened and declined to speak to media, citing guidance from a manager. Others said they were still trying to sort their feelings.

One said she learned to read at the library. A few spoke of a high school chemistry teacher they know who is among the injured.

McCarthy wasn’t working when the stabbings happened, but she was in the library.

“I didn’t really see too much. I mainly just heard, like screams,” she said. “It’s scary for something so tragic happen in an area that you grew up in that feels like home, so I think it will definitely will impact me personally for a while.”

News of the stabbings brought back a flood of painful memories for Maryam Farmani Seyar who still has a large scar on her right hand from being stabbed in a random attack in 2013 when she was walking downtown.

“It’s not fair for people,” said the Lynn Valley resident, breaking into tears, thinking about how the victims will suffer.

Police did not have details about the accused, Bandaogo. A man sharing his name and who looks like images of the suspect taken near the library and posted to social media appeared in a 2012 short film depicting a young man training at the Techno-Boxe boxing club in Longueuil, Quebec.

jlee-young@postmedia.com

— with files from The Canadian Press