The Surrey teen who was fatally stabbed on a bus in Whalley on Tuesday night reportedly was riding home from a friend香蕉视频直播檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by 香蕉视频直播渟ome kids香蕉视频直播� and was scared.

香蕉视频直播淓than was a young, bright loved boy, unarmed and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus,香蕉视频直播� a GoFundMe page set up by his aunt Andrea Van Der Gracht reads, seeking help to cover the teen香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淗e texted his mom and said there香蕉视频直播檚 some kids threatening me and I香蕉视频直播檓 scared, and that was the last text that he got out,香蕉视频直播� his aunt, Andrea Van Der Gracht, told Global News. 香蕉视频直播淗e was a good kid. He had four younger sisters and brothers. He worked, he went to school, he got good grades, he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 in trouble, he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檛 mean you香蕉视频直播檙e going to lose your life.香蕉视频直播�

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken conduct of the case. Bespflug is Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year and was the second stabbing on a bus in Surrey this month. The first victim survived.

香蕉视频直播淚 think the story out of Surrey is every parent香蕉视频直播檚 worst nightmare,香蕉视频直播� Premier David Eby said of the fatal stabbing. 香蕉视频直播淭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香蕉视频直播檝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.

香蕉视频直播淭his is an absolutely horrific incident,香蕉视频直播� Eby noted.

香蕉视频直播淭his is a profoundly concerning incident.香蕉视频直播�

Tuesday香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 stabbing was 香蕉视频直播渋n any way connected香蕉视频直播� to a man香蕉视频直播檚 throat being slashed 香蕉视频直播� also on a Route 503 香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淓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,香蕉视频直播� a set up by another aunt, Daphni Miller, reads. So far 79 donors have contributed $5,218 toward a 香蕉视频直播�$10,000 goal.

A , set up by Van Der Gracht seeking donations to 香蕉视频直播渉elp lay Ethan to rest,香蕉视频直播� has so far received $6,146 from 81 donors toward a $7,500 goal.

香蕉视频直播淚n a time when we are constantly being bombarded by sadness and death everywhere,香蕉视频直播� her campaign page reads, 香蕉视频直播渨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.

香蕉视频直播淧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.香蕉视频直播�

Meantime, police ask anyone with information about Tuesday香蕉视频直播檚 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. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. We香蕉视频直播檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team 香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there 香蕉视频直播� we香蕉视频直播檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where we香蕉视频直播檝e identified where people aren香蕉视频直播檛 feeling safe,香蕉视频直播� she told the Now-Leader.

As for both stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know if that香蕉视频直播檚 a coincidence. 香蕉视频直播淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred they香蕉视频直播檙e not connected in any way, there香蕉视频直播檚 no evidence to suggest that they香蕉视频直播檙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.香蕉视频直播�

On Wednesday night, she said, police officers were on the 503 香蕉视频直播渢o help address that.香蕉视频直播�

What香蕉视频直播檚 fueling recent violence is a question for the age.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 understand what香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,香蕉视频直播� Steed said.

Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, 香蕉视频直播渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.

香蕉视频直播淲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香蕉视频直播檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didn香蕉视频直播檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, they香蕉视频直播檙e struggling.

香蕉视频直播淧eople are really on edge.香蕉视频直播�

As for the suspect in Bespflug香蕉视频直播檚 case, Steed noted, the buses are equipped with 香蕉视频直播渞eally great CCTV, and video cameras in the stations as well, so I don香蕉视频直播檛 think it will be long before IHIT identifies a suspect in that case but at this moment he has not been arrested.香蕉视频直播�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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