Vancouver Police are warning people not to enter Stanley Park alone after dark after two men were attacked -- one of them stabbed to death -- in two unsolved and seemingly random acts of violence.
In both cases, investigators have yet to identify a suspect. It’s unclear whether the two attacks were linked, but police are urging members of the public to take extra precautions if they choose to enter the popular park at night.
“We are encouraging those who choose to visit Stanley Park at night not to do so alone,” Const. Jason Doucette told reporters.
The first attack took place in November and involved an 82-year-old man who was brutally beaten and found inside his car in the park. The victim remains in hospital with serious injuries. Police have analyzed footage of a man in a tan coat captured on a nearby video, but have so far not identified the suspect or a motive.
It’s unclear whether the attack is linked to a murder that occurred last Wednesday. Lubo Kunik, a 61-year-old photographer, was walking by himself around the park’s seawall when he was stabbed to death, police said. His body was found around 11 p.m.
Police have released a person of interest who was initially identified on the night of the killing.
Doucette said police haven’t made a solid connection between the two incidents, but that investigators aren’t ruling out the possibility.
“We don’t have enough information at this point to say that they’re not related. We don’t have enough information to say there is one person responsible or if they’re completely separate,” he said.
Stanley Park is a popular recreational space for Vancouverites, who are known to run along the seawall, play sports in the Brockton Oval or go for hikes through the winding trails.
For some, the official warning from police made them think twice about visiting the park.
“It does kind of make you hesitate about walking through the park,” one woman told CTV Vancouver.
“Sometimes we’ll walk through the trails. And we’ve had second thoughts at times,” said a man.
A friend of Kunik accused police of taking too long to issue the warning one week after the man was murdered.
“They come after a week with this warning. That should be done right away,” said Pavol Gorel, a long-time friend of Kunik.
Police said one reason they issued the warning was in hopes of encouraging park-goers to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.
“Without this warning, we’re nervous that people may see something and just move on and think it’s not a bigger deal,” Doucette said.
In the meantime, police are warning members of the public to remain vigilant when they visit Stanley Park. Police say they have stepped up their patrols of the park.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Roberts
