The Surrey teen who was fatally stabbed on a bus in Whalley on Tuesday night reportedly was riding home from a friendB次元官网网址檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by B次元官网网址渟ome kidsB次元官网网址� and was scared.

B次元官网网址淓than was a young, bright loved boy, unarmed and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus,B次元官网网址� a GoFundMe page set up by his aunt Andrea Van Der Gracht reads, seeking help to cover the teenB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淗e texted his mom and said thereB次元官网网址檚 some kids threatening me and IB次元官网网址檓 scared, and that was the last text that he got out,B次元官网网址� his aunt, Andrea Van Der Gracht, told Global B次元官网网址. B次元官网网址淗e was a good kid. He had four younger sisters and brothers. He worked, he went to school, he got good grades, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 in trouble, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 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, shouldnB次元官网网址檛 mean youB次元官网网址檙e going to lose your life.B次元官网网址�

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken conduct of the case. Bespflug is SurreyB次元官网网址檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year and was the second stabbing on a bus in Surrey this month. The first victim survived.

B次元官网网址淚 think the story out of Surrey is every parentB次元官网网址檚 worst nightmare,B次元官网网址� Premier David Eby said of the fatal stabbing. B次元官网网址淭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. IB次元官网网址檝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.

B次元官网网址淭his is an absolutely horrific incident,B次元官网网址� Eby noted.

B次元官网网址淭his is a profoundly concerning incident.B次元官网网址�

TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 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 TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 stabbing was B次元官网网址渋n any way connectedB次元官网网址� to a manB次元官网网址檚 throat being slashed B次元官网网址� also on a Route 503 B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淓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,B次元官网网址� a set up by another aunt, Daphni Miller, reads. So far 79 donors have contributed $5,218 toward a B次元官网网址�$10,000 goal.

A , set up by Van Der Gracht seeking donations to B次元官网网址渉elp lay Ethan to rest,B次元官网网址� has so far received $6,146 from 81 donors toward a $7,500 goal.

B次元官网网址淚n a time when we are constantly being bombarded by sadness and death everywhere,B次元官网网址� her campaign page reads, B次元官网网址渨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.

B次元官网网址淧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.B次元官网网址�

Meantime, police ask anyone with information about TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 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. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. WeB次元官网网址檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there B次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where weB次元官网网址檝e identified where people arenB次元官网网址檛 feeling safe,B次元官网网址� she told the Now-Leader.

As for both stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesnB次元官网网址檛 know if thatB次元官网网址檚 a coincidence. B次元官网网址淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred theyB次元官网网址檙e not connected in any way, thereB次元官网网址檚 no evidence to suggest that theyB次元官网网址檙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.B次元官网网址�

On Wednesday night, she said, police officers were on the 503 B次元官网网址渢o help address that.B次元官网网址�

WhatB次元官网网址檚 fueling recent violence is a question for the age.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 understand whatB次元官网网址檚 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 wasnB次元官网网址檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,B次元官网网址� Steed said.

Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, B次元官网网址渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.

B次元官网网址淲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, theyB次元官网网址檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didnB次元官网网址檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, theyB次元官网网址檙e struggling.

B次元官网网址淧eople are really on edge.B次元官网网址�

As for the suspect in BespflugB次元官网网址檚 case, Steed noted, the buses are equipped with B次元官网网址渞eally great CCTV, and video cameras in the stations as well, so I donB次元官网网址檛 think it will be long before IHIT identifies a suspect in that case but at this moment he has not been arrested.B次元官网网址�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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