The Surrey teen who was fatally stabbed on a bus in Whalley on Tuesday night reportedly was riding home from a friend含羞草研究社檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by 含羞草研究社渟ome kids含羞草研究社� and was scared.
含羞草研究社淓than was a young, bright loved boy, unarmed and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus,含羞草研究社� a GoFundMe page set up by his aunt Andrea Van Der Gracht reads, seeking help to cover the teen含羞草研究社檚 funeral costs.
Ethan Bespflug, 17, died in hospital from his injuries after being stabbed on a bus in the 9900-block of King George Boulevard at 9:28 p.m. on April 11. Police have not yet identified a suspect.
含羞草研究社淗e texted his mom and said there含羞草研究社檚 some kids threatening me and I含羞草研究社檓 scared, and that was the last text that he got out,含羞草研究社� his aunt, Andrea Van Der Gracht, told Global News. 含羞草研究社淗e was a good kid. He had four younger sisters and brothers. He worked, he went to school, he got good grades, he wasn含羞草研究社檛 in trouble, he wasn含羞草研究社檛 a bad kid. The fact that he ended up in this situation is horrible. And it could be any of our kids now. You know, sitting on a bus, just going to meet your mom, shouldn含羞草研究社檛 mean you含羞草研究社檙e going to lose your life.含羞草研究社�
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken conduct of the case. Bespflug is Surrey含羞草研究社檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year and was the second stabbing on a bus in Surrey this month. The first victim survived.
含羞草研究社淚 think the story out of Surrey is every parent含羞草研究社檚 worst nightmare,含羞草研究社� Premier David Eby said of the fatal stabbing. 含羞草研究社淭ransit needs to be safe and accessible for kids, for seniors, for everybody. I understand that the Surrey RCMP and the Transit Police increased patrols and presence on Surrey Transit. I含羞草研究社檝e asked the minister for public safety to reach out to transit authorities and to police authorities to see if there is any other tools or resources that they need to ensure safety on our transit system for everybody.
含羞草研究社淭his is an absolutely horrific incident,含羞草研究社� Eby noted.
含羞草研究社淭his is a profoundly concerning incident.含羞草研究社�
Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 stabbing happened on a Route 503 bus eastbound from King George Station. Cpl. Vanessa Munn, of the Surrey RCMP, said police have no reason to suspect Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 stabbing was 含羞草研究社渋n any way connected含羞草研究社� to a man含羞草研究社檚 throat being slashed 含羞草研究社� also on a Route 503 含羞草研究社� bus at Fraser Highway and 148 Street on April 1. That earlier stabbing resulted in the suspect, Abdul Aziz Kawam, being charged with four terrorism-related offences, with Kawam accused of committing the crime on behalf of the Islamic State otherwise known as ISIS.
So far two GoFundMe campaigns been been set up for Bespflug seeking donations to help with his funeral expenses.
含羞草研究社淓than just turned 17 years old he had so much life ahead of him, a good kid, a kind kid a loving brother, son, grandson, uncle, friend, he always helped with his siblings always told his family how much he loves us, he would give the shirt off his back to anyone that needed it,含羞草研究社� a set up by another aunt, Daphni Miller, reads. So far 79 donors have contributed $5,218 toward a 含羞草研究社�$10,000 goal.
A , set up by Van Der Gracht seeking donations to 含羞草研究社渉elp lay Ethan to rest,含羞草研究社� has so far received $6,146 from 81 donors toward a $7,500 goal.
含羞草研究社淚n a time when we are constantly being bombarded by sadness and death everywhere,含羞草研究社� her campaign page reads, 含羞草研究社渨e have lost one of our own. Ethan was a son and a brother who was senselessly murdered when he was supposed to be safe. Our fears of sending our children out into the world are becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives. We are not supposed to fear our children going to school, we are not supposed to fear our children going home from school. Our children are dying, and gun violence and threats of violence are everywhere. In times like this families and communities need to come together to help everyone. Ethan did not deserve this. He woke up and went to school in the morning and never came back.
含羞草研究社淧lease donate to help lay Ethan to rest. In a time of tragedy help us come together as a community to help a family in need. Help them know that there is still good in the world. There will be peace again, and love and peace will prevail. Ethan was a young, bright loved boy, unarmed and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus.含羞草研究社�
Meantime, police ask anyone with information about Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 fatal stabbing to call investigators on the IHIT information line 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Const. Amanda Steed, spokeswoman for Metro Vancouver Transit Police, said uniformed officers assigned several units have been pulled from their regular duties have been assigned to buses and SkyTrain in Surrey. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. We含羞草研究社檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where we含羞草研究社檝e identified where people aren含羞草研究社檛 feeling safe,含羞草研究社� she told the Now-Leader.
As for both stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesn含羞草研究社檛 know if that含羞草研究社檚 a coincidence. 含羞草研究社淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred they含羞草研究社檙e not connected in any way, there含羞草研究社檚 no evidence to suggest that they含羞草研究社檙e connected. But does that say that maybe the 503 is a route that we might need to look at a little but closer and perhaps improve our presence on that route? Absolutely.含羞草研究社�
On Wednesday night, she said, police officers were on the 503 含羞草研究社渢o help address that.含羞草研究社�
What含羞草研究社檚 fueling recent violence is a question for the age.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 understand what含羞草研究社檚 happening, this is so abnormal, this is not normal, and we looked at other provinces who are having issues like this, with violence and weapons, and we were always lucky that that wasn含羞草研究社檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,含羞草研究社� Steed said.
Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, 含羞草研究社渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.
含羞草研究社淲e have to ask ourselves, what has brought these people to this spot? Why are they in this position, why are they exhibiting more violence and using more weapons that they have in the past? And I think it has a lot to do with mental health, and the drug crisis, and social housing crisis. I also think COVID also had a huge impact, we were isolated for so long. People are struggling right now, people who are already on the edge of a mental health break, they含羞草研究社檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didn含羞草研究社檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, they含羞草研究社檙e struggling.
含羞草研究社淧eople are really on edge.含羞草研究社�
As for the suspect in Bespflug含羞草研究社檚 case, Steed noted, the buses are equipped with 含羞草研究社渞eally great CCTV, and video cameras in the stations as well, so I don含羞草研究社檛 think it will be long before IHIT identifies a suspect in that case but at this moment he has not been arrested.含羞草研究社�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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