Update: 4:45 p.m.
New details about the incident and suspect have been released at a police press conference.
Suspect details
While the man arrested at Habitat Park (aka Beer Island) has not been identified as charges have not been laid, VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer did note the man had a history with police, including prior convictions for assault.
"This appears to be a very troubled man who has a lengthy history of mental health-related incidents, which have resulted in more than 60 documented contacts with police throughout Metro Vancouver," said Palmer.
The man was on probation for a 2023 assault in White Rock.
"My understanding is that he was not breaching his conditions by being in Vancouver and that the conditions on the probation order were quite, quite light," Palmer said later in the press conference.
He also noted that charges had been stayed against the suspect after previous serious incidents.
"I do have some concerns about, and charges were not pursued. He has a history also of assaulting police and health care workers," Palmer said.
Palmer noted the victim who had had his hand cut off was taken to hospital with the severed body part; he was not sure what doctors were planning in terms of care.
He also noted the second victim was a man likely in his 70s, but police were still working to confirm his identity.
Mayor and police chief comment on violence
During the press conference Palmer and Mayor Ken Sim made comments regarding violent attacks in Vancouver. Palmer noted that while the incident itself was violent, the city is not a violent place, and crime statistics like violent crimes and unprovoked stranger assaults are down in 2024 compared to last year.
That said, he said violence related to mental health is an ongoing issue, noting "there's too many unwell people walking around in our streets."
"There are many people that we have compassion for that have mental health issues that we want to see get help and get on a better path," Palmer said.
"But there are also people with mental health issues who are extremely dangerous that we need to be afraid of and we need to have institutionalized, and this person, in my estimation, is going to fall into that category."
At the same time, Palmer was critical of the justice system.
"What we need is, number one, we got to stop the revolving door of justice. Catch and release. Whatever you want to call it," he said.
He also specifically criticized the staying of charges for people who are in custody facing serious charges.
Police do well at protecting the public after an incident has happened, Palmer also noted, but there needs to be more done before police intervention is needed.
"We need more help dealing with the upstream drivers so that these folks are not coming into contact with police at the tail end of the equation," he said.
The mayor also commented on violence and mental health, and how efforts need to be made to get ahead of the issue.
"I think we would rather have a situation where...where we're not put in the situation in the first place, where these violent acts don't happen because we're...actually solving the root causes of these problems," he said. "Every time we come, when we're on the stage, we talk about how we react. It's of zero comfort to the victims and their families and their friends."
Sim pointed to the provincial and federal governments to fill "gaps in our public safety approach."
"We need the province and the federal government to address these gaps, especially when it comes to mental health, especially when it comes to the mental health crisis that basically every single town and city in this country is facing now," he said.
The province has made adjustments to policies that he believes are positive, Sim noted, but he said more needs to be done, and the federal government needs to help.
"If we don't pivot, expect to see more press conferences like this. Period full stop," he said. "We're pretty much doing everything we can do as a municipality, and so are all the other municipalities out there."
Story: 12:05 p.m.
One man was killed and another man suffered life-altering injuries - including a severed hand - in two unprovoked stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday (Sept. 4).
The two attacks occurred minutes apart and not far from each other.
The first happened at 7:38 a.m. near Cathedral Square at Richards and Dunsmuir streets, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).
"Officers found a man in his 50s who had been attacked with a knife, was bleeding from the head, and had suffered a severed hand," state police in a press release. "The man was taken to hospital for emergency treatment and is expected to survive."
Just eight minutes later, at 7:46 a.m. a second incident was called in to police.
VPD officers were called to West Georgia and Hamilton streets after a second man was attacked, said police.
"Despite efforts to save his life, the man died at the scene. The victim’s identity and age have not yet been confirmed."
Arrest made: 34-year-old White Rock resident
A suspect has been identified and arrested in connection to both incidents.
"Shortly after 9 a.m., officers located the suspect on Habitat Island, near the Olympic Village, after responding to reports that a man behaving erratically had approached a stranger and began yelling at him," state police. "The suspect, a 34-year-old White Rock resident, was taken into custody and is currently at the Vancouver Jail."
For much of the morning, police had two areas in downtown Vancouver blocked off.
In front of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre box office, near the intersection of West Georgia and Hamilton streets, a white tent was set up and a tarp covered a body. Police blocked off the plaza, known as šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl'a7shn, and Centennial Fountain to conduct an investigation.
At the same time, Homer Street was blocked between West Georgia and Dunsmuir streets, and tape was wrapped most of the way around 402 Dunsmuir St. (though access to the building is still available at a side entrance) down to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
A large pool of blood was visible on the sidewalk midway down Homer.
Anyone with information on the attacks is asked to call the VPD at 604-717-2500.
This story has been updated with new details.
More to come.
