One person has died and another has been criminally charged after a stabbing near a Starbucks in a busy area of downtown Vancouver on Sunday evening, police said Monday in a statement.
Paul Stanley Schmidt, 37, died after being stabbed following a “brief altercation” outside the coffee shop at Granville and Pender streets just after 5:30 p.m., police said.
Inderdeep Singh Gosal, 32, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison told reporters at a Monday afternoon news conference that investigators believe the victim and suspect did not know each other and that neither had significant police records prior to the incident.
The area outside the coffee shop Sunday was busy with shoppers and other passersby on a spring weekend afternoon at the time of the stabbing. Police said members of the public flagged down a police officer on patrol after the stabbing, who arrested the suspect at the scene.
“We saw the guy get lifted onto the ambulance … The scene around, there had to be at least 15, 20 cop cars. Everyone was just kind of in shock,” said Mark Buckingham, who witnessed the aftermath of the incident after his bus was stopped near the scene.
“For it to happen at that location in broad daylight … was just very weird,” he added.
Addison said while investigators know what happened, they are now focusing on motive and trying to piece together what events may have led up to the fatal stabbing.
Police are looking to speak with any witnesses who saw the aftermath of the stabbing or anyone who might have cellphone video.
Addison also said he is aware there is video circulating on social media that is disturbing and graphic and is asking people not to share it but to turn it over to the VPD.
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