A married couple in their 60s started their Sunday morning just like any other. They ate breakfast and discussed their plans for the day. Little did they know that by the end of the day, they would become victims of a random stabbing attack at the Light Up Chinatown festival. To protect their safety, Global News is not revealing their names or identities.
The husband explained to Global News that they initially thought it would be safe to attend the festival due to the large crowds. They had planned to leave earlier, but they found out that there was going to be a singer they wanted to see perform at 5 p.m. Unfortunately, they decided to stay. The stabbing incident occurred around 6 p.m.
The wife recounted the events to Global News, mentioning that the attack started with a young woman in her 20s who was standing nearby. The young woman yelled something in Chinese before she was attacked. The wife then realized she had been stabbed in the back, just as she asked her husband what was happening. The husband, turning around, narrowly missed being stabbed in the back himself, but was instead stabbed in the arm. He suspected that the attacker also tried to stab him in the chest. As he tried to get up, the suspect attempted to stab him once more. The husband tried to kick the suspect, but he fell and injured his knee in the process. It was at that moment the suspect fled.
The next day, Vancouver police Chief Constable Adam Palmer revealed that Blair Evan Donnelly, 64, had carried out the unprovoked attack at the Chinatown festival. Donnelly had been out on a day pass from the psychiatric hospital, Colony Farm, where he had been placed after being found not criminally responsible for the second-degree murder of his daughter in Kitimat in 2006.
The wife of the couple who were attacked admitted that she didn’t realize anything had happened until she felt a painful sensation in her back. She remembered touching her back and feeling something wet, leading her to suspect that she had been injured. Her husband initially intended to chase after the suspect, but when he saw his wife bleeding, he stopped to apply pressure to her wound to stop the bleeding. She recalled feeling that someone had hit her, but she didn’t know who. She couldn’t see the suspect when she stood up.
Vancouver police officers quickly responded to the scene and provided first aid until an ambulance arrived. It is still unclear what type of weapon was used in the attack, but the wife believes it was a metal file, although the police have not confirmed this.
Interestingly, the couple was unaware that a young woman had also been stabbed until the police put the three of them together. The wife expressed fear and shock over the incident, continuously searching for the man wearing a red shirt, worried that he might harm others. She noted that the attacker never spoke to them before or during the attack. She also questioned why Donnelly was out on a day pass without any supervision.
British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed his anger over the incident, stating that he was “white-hot” angry. He found it baffling that Donnelly had been released and wanted a thorough investigation into the decision-making process that led to his unsupervised pass from the psychiatric hospital. Eby assured the public that an independent investigation into the case was underway.
The husband involved in this case believed that the justice system was completely broken. The wife agreed, stating that she was worried Donnelly might harm someone else. They both called for increased monitoring of violent offenders, emphasizing the need for changes in the system. They believed community safety should be the priority.
The couple now feel anxious about going out in public, wondering what could have happened if Donnelly had a longer or sharper weapon. The wife shared her recent experience of going to the police station to file a report and feeling scared while at the mall, surrounded by people. Her husband admitted that he now watches people’s hands carefully, looking out for any suspicious behavior. Both of them expressed that they had never felt this way before.
In conclusion, this elderly couple’s Sunday morning took an unexpected turn when they became victims of a random stabbing attack at the Light Up Chinatown festival. They recount their terrifying experience, share their worries about the justice system, and express their concerns for community safety. The investigation into the incident and the decision-making process that allowed Donnelly to have a day pass from the psychiatric hospital is ongoing. The couple now live with the constant fear and anxiety that such violence can happen again.