Murder Probe After Boy, 15, Stabbed to Death On Downtown Vancouver Street

A 15-year-old boy from Surrey, B.C., was fatally stabbed late Saturday near Robson Square, according to Vancouver police, who are now treating the case as a homicide.

Sgt. Steve Addison said at a news briefing Monday that no arrests had been made, and investigators are appealing to the public for information. The stabbing occurred around 11:40 p.m. in the area near the Vancouver Law Courts at Smithe and Hornby streets, shortly after the city’s Celebration of Light fireworks display.

“There may be people who may have seen something, didn’t necessarily know what they saw, and don’t quite realize that they’re witnesses to something that happened,” Addison said.

A passerby called 911 after discovering the injured teenager on Hornby Street. First responders provided aid at the scene, but the boy died in hospital early Sunday morning.

Police have not released the boy’s name but confirmed that his next of kin have been notified.

“It’s an incredible impact on that person’s family, friends and community, and that tragedy and that impact is magnified when we’re talking about somebody who’s still a child,” Addison said.

Police believe a “violent altercation” occurred shortly before the stabbing. While investigators are aware of videos circulating online showing fights after the fireworks show, Addison cautioned against drawing direct links. “We don’t want to conflate the homicide investigation unnecessarily with fireworks,” he said.

Detectives from the Vancouver Police Department’s operations division, forensic identification unit, and major crime section continue to process the crime scene and gather evidence.

“Investigators from (the Vancouver Police Department) operations division, forensic identification unit, and major crime section have been working to collect evidence from the crime scene, to learn more about what led up to the murder, and to identify anyone responsible,” the department said in a statement.

Authorities are urging anyone with dash-camera footage from the area bounded by Georgia, Smithe, Howe, and Hornby streets between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. Saturday to contact police, even if they are unsure their recordings captured anything significant.

Addison emphasized that officers have been working “non-stop” to solve the case.

“We want to speak to anyone who was in the area,” Addison said.