THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said on Monday that while the motivation behind the May 29 stabbings in Surrey is still under investigation, investigators believe that the alleged suspect, who was shot by police, was responsible for both stabbings, and that there are no outstanding suspects.
The deceased stabbing victim was a 55-year-old man who lived in the same building as the alleged suspect, a 65-year-old man.
The surviving stabbing victim is a 35-year-old woman who was in the vicinity of the building.
IHIT continues to work in close partnership with SPS, the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) and the BC Coroners Service to advance the investigation.
On Friday, May 29, at approximately 1 p.m., Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded to a report of an assault near Old Yale Road and University Drive. Police arrived on scene and located an initial victim suffering from stab wounds. Further investigation led them to locate a second victim inside a building who had also been stabbed.
Despite life-saving efforts, one person died at scene and a second victim was transported to hospital for treatment.
SPS officers located a male suspect a short distance away. An interaction occurred and shots were fired by police. The suspect was transported to hospital where he later died from his injuries.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) was notified and are investigating the police actions in this incident.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was called in and assumed conduct of the concurrent investigation into the stabbings.
“The SPS response brought a dynamic situation under control and multiple crimes scenes were safely contained,” says Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT. “Though the alleged suspect is now deceased, IHIT will continue a fulsome investigation into the sequence of events in hopes of uncovering the motivation and sequence of events behind what appears to be an unprovoked attack. We extend our thoughts to the family members of the deceased as well as the surviving victim.”
Anyone seeking support is encouraged to reach out to Victim Services. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or via email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
