North Vancouver stabbing attack: Suspect’s friend says she’s shocked

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Two days after a random stabbing rampage outside a busy North Vancouver library, investigators are still trying to find out why a Quebec man attacked seven strangers, leaving one woman dead.

As mourners placed flowers at a makeshift memorial at the Lynn Valley Library Monday, Insp. Michelle Tansey, acting head of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said several motives have been ruled out, but the reasons behind the senseless violence remain a mystery.

Yannick Bandaogo, a 28-year-old man of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene Saturday after stabbing himself. He made a brief video appearance in North Vancouver provincial court Monday and has been remanded in custody until Thursday.

“As you can appreciate, we’re still in the early stages of our investigation. We continue to investigate the potential motive behind the incident, as well as the suspect’s background and history in British Columbia,” Tansey said. “We can establish that the accused was unknown and did not have any links to any of the victims based on our information so far. The accused does have links to Quebec and we’re still trying to determine what brought him to the West Coast.”

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She said there is no suggestion that Bandaogo was radicalized or was targeting women, despite the fact six of the seven victims were female.

“We understand that there will be questions about the suspect and the desire to understand the motive behind this senseless act. But we are still in the early stages, and we may not be able to provide you answers at this time … I assure you it is far from over. I realize that this is a profound and tragic incident that has deeply affected a great many people especially the members of the Lynn Valley community. Please know that IHIT is committed to completing a full and complete investigation, leaving no stone unturned.”

Tansey said Bandaogo had a history of violence in Quebec and had warrants out for his arrest in both Quebec and Manitoba at the time of the stabbings.

Asked whether he was known to have mental-health issues, Tansey said: “We always consider mental health in terms of the assessment of the suspect and everything is being assessed at this point.”

She said police are also trying to determine his whereabouts in the days before he showed up at the library, which was having a used book sale Saturday.

“We have interviewed over 50 witnesses and we have spoken to all six victims. We urge anyone that hasn’t contacted IHIT already who may have video, to please reach out to us,” she said, adding that police are pouring over video of the attacks seized from around the library complex, which includes restaurants and stores.

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Postmedia News confirmed that the Quebec warrant for Bandaogo’s arrest was issued last September after he failed to appear in court. He had pleaded guilty to assault in a conjugal (domestic) violence case in September 2019 in Longueuil.

In October 2018, Bandaogo was sentenced to a month in jail for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. The same day he was sentenced to four months in jail for assault causing bodily harm and was handed a three-month term for two separate assault cases.

Bandaogo used to train at Techno-Boxe boxing club in Longueuil, where Sandra Babou first met him in 2014. Babou, then-executive assistant in the boxing club, told Postmedia on Monday that she was “stunned and sad” to hear of his arrest.

“I never thought that Yannick could have been accused of such a situation,” she said in French.  “He was a boy who has always been kind and respectful to me and grateful for the help that we could give him.”

She said Bandaogo had some conflict with his father, who had “forced him to leave the family cocoon and fend for himself.””I tried to help him as best I could with some food and show him that everything can be worked out,” she said. “He was a boy who was sad and tried to get by as best he could. We worked together until the end of September 2017 when I left my job for another. We kept in touch occasionally once or twice a year. But nothing since last year.”

Bandaogo’s Facebook page has a number of photos of himself, including one showing his head tattoo that appears to say: “le savoir est une arme” or knowledge is a weapon.

North Van RCMP Supt. Ghalib Bhayani praised bystanders who jumped in to help victims and subdue the suspect.“

It was heartening to see the many people who stepped up to help during what was the dynamic and dangerous situation. We want to acknowledge our paramedics, our firefighters, our RCMP members, and commend those civilians — the Good Samaritans — who cared for the injured and kept others safe,” he said. “We are deeply grateful for your courage and your selflessness. Your quick and heroic actions in the face of unspeakable violence, no doubt saved lives.”

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North Vancouver District Mayor Mike Little said special counselling services for those traumatized by Saturday’s events have been set up at the Karen Magnussen Community Centre, 2300 Kirkstone Rd., all week.

“I just want to convey to you today how utterly shocked and saddened our community is over the events that have happened here,” Little said. “On behalf of the council and district staff, I want to offer our support and well-wishes to the victims and their families and friends, and those who witnessed the attack and, of course, all of those other people in our community who have been affected by these events.

“No one expects to be confronted with violence while going about their day in a civic plaza outside a library and just running their errands … it’s an absolute shock,” Little said.

— With files from Paul Cherry, Montreal Gazette

kbolan@postmedia.com

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