Vancouver Police are looking to connect with anyone who may have witnessed a stabbing in East Vancouver Halloween night.
The "violent assault" at Empire Field, located at 2901 East Hastings Street, left a 31-year-old Vancouver man fighting for his life in hospital with "serious and life-altering injuries," police said.
According to police, the victim was with friends inside Leeside Skatepark – described as "a large skateboard tunnel at the south end of Empire Field" – on Oct. 31 when he was first assaulted during a fight at around 10:30 p.m.
The fight was reportedly between "two big groups" and took place near the soccer field just east of Playland. During the initial conflict, the victim was struck in the head by a white male in his 20s who was wearing a Ghostbusters costume at the time.
Police say a second altercation between the same two groups took place at around 11:45 p.m., this time near the soccer field's public washrooms.
It was during this altercation that the victim is believed to have been stabbed multiple times in the torso by a different white male, also in his 20s. Police say the suspect was wearing black and carrying a distinctive red- and white-striped shoulder bag.
The victim collapsed a short distance from the park before being rushed to hospital, according to the VPD.
“Detectives have not yet been able to identify the people responsible, and are asking for the public’s help to solve the crime," explained Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Sgt. Steve Addison in a news release.
“We know there were dozens of people in the park when these altercations occurred, and we believe someone out there has information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects,” he added.
According to Addison, police are aware that some witnesses captured cell phone footage of the incident.
“We’re asking for anyone with pictures or video to do the right thing and call investigators," he said.
Vancouver Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call the department's Major Crime Section at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
