TWO Vancouver teens were hospitalized on Tuesday night following a violent encounter on the city’s west side, which Vancouver Police believe started when one youth accused the other of stealing a vape pen.

One teen suffered multiple stab wounds and required surgery.

Several witnesses reported seeing two people fighting near a bus stop at Dunbar and West 41 Avenue around 8:30 p.m. When VPD officers responded, they located a 17-year-old suffering from a number of life-threatening wounds. The victim was bleeding profusely, and a VPD officer applied pressure to the wounds to stem the bleeding.

The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance and is expected to survive.

Police later located an 18-year-old suspect in East Vancouver, who was also suffering injuries that required hospitalization. Those injuries are not life-threatening.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident but left before police arrived is asked to call Vancouver Police Department’s Major Crime Section at 604-717-2541.