A Vancouver man is in custody after allegedly stabbing a 37-year-old father to death in a Starbucks, where the victim’s wife and little daughter were also there. It was in the coffee shop on the corner of Pender and Granville that Paul Stanley Schmidt was stabbed. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society is holding a benefit for Mr. Schmidt’s family.
“This tragedy has impacted and sent shockwaves of grief and heartache across the community and it is emotionally gut-wrenching to fathom what his family had to witness in horror,” the organisation wrote.
On the cafe’s patio, another man stabbed Mr. Schmidt to death. Despite hospitalization, he passed away. There is no evidence linking the suspect to the father. On Sunday at 5:40 p.m., the incident occurred.
The graphic film of the attack shows Mr. Schmidt gripping his stomach before he collapses to the ground, seemingly unconscious. There’s a lot of blood on the floor. The Vancouver Police Department has asked that the video not be distributed.
“We’re asking anyone who witnessed the homicide on Sunday, or anyone who has bystander video, to contact us and speak with our investigators,” Sgt Steve Addison told the Daily Hive.
“Videos and eyewitness accounts could be important evidence in this case. In the interest of the ongoing investigation, and out of respect for everyone impacted by this crime, we’re asking people not to post videos to social media.”
The suspect, 32-year-old Inderdeep Singh Gosal, was arrested on Sunday and has been charged with second-degree murder. The incident escalated into violence “after a brief altercation,” according to the police.
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“The circumstances that led up to the fatal stabbing remain under investigation,” Sgt Addison said in a press release. Mr. Gosal has a court date of April 11. Mr. Schmidt’s mother Kathy told Global News that “Paul lived for his wife and his daughter… that was his whole life”.
“This man has damaged so many lives,” she said.
“There’s a significant amount of evidence to tell us what happened,” Sgt Addison said, according to Global News. “What we are focusing on now is why did this happen. What are the events that transpired in the moments leading up to this very serious crime … and that’s something that may take some time for us to fully understand.”
“We believe there are people likely nearby, people who witnessed it, people who were in the area who can help us to understand those questions,” he added. This is the sixth homicide in Vancouver so far in 2018. Witness Alex Bodger reported to Global News that he had seen a traumatic scene.
“It’s not something you think you would see walking down the street in Vancouver on a Sunday,” he said.
According to Mr. Bodger, the suspect re-entered Starbucks after the stabbing and all he could hear were screams. “Every time I think about the situation I get this feeling in my chest which is pure fear,” the witness told Global News.
It was “a stupid crime and it’s utterly horrific,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim told Global News. “Our hearts and our thoughts go out to Mr Schmidt, Mr Schmidt’s family – everyone who loves him,” he added.
Starbucks Canada spokesperson Leanna Rizzi said in a statement that “this is a tragic situation and our hearts are with all those involved and affected by this incident. We are thankful our partners (employees) are safe and our focus is on supporting them”.
“Partners have been offered support through our LifeWorks Employee Assistance Program to assist them through this difficult time. I do not have information to share at this time regarding when the store will reopen,” she added.
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