White Rock stabbing victim shares story, 2 months after arriving in Canada
Posted April 23, 2024 3:38 pm.
Last Updated April 24, 2024 11:02 am.
A night out at a popular viewpoint in White Rock turned into a nightmare for a couple who just arrived in Canada, after one of them was stabbed in a random attack Sunday.
Manpreet Kaur and her husband Jatinder Singh say it was supposed to be a relaxing night out on the White Rock Pier, two months after they had moved to the country.
“We were just sitting on the bench, talking, eating, spending quality time and feeling so relaxed,” said Kaur, who notes things quickly took a turn.
She says suddenly, Singh put his hand to his neck. He had been stabbed by a stranger, who then proceeded to walk away from the attack.
“Right after the bleeding started, we saw the knife in [the suspect’s] hand, and we realized that he cut his neck with the knife,” Kaur told OMNI News Tuesday.
“He just hit my husband with the knife and cut my husband’s neck with the knife.”
“At the time, we didn’t know that it was an attack with a knife,” Kaur added, noting, initially, they thought Singh had been punched.
She says what happened next made things worse — she claims no one passing by helped the couple or called 9-1-1 for them.
“No one helped us. There were so many people around us but they didn’t help. My husband was suffering from so much pain and bleeding on his clothes and the ground. I called 9-1-1 and my husband was also screaming ‘Help me. Help me,’ but no one helped my husband and me. I just called 9-1-1 and the police came and helped us,” she recalled.
According to the White Rock RCMP, the stabbing was reported around 9 p.m. When officers arrived, they found the 28-year-old victim.
Mounties said Monday they’re actively investigating and gathering evidence to “identify, locate, and arrest the suspect.” No one had been taken into custody as of Tuesday.
“The investigation is in the early stages and the motive is undetermined. Based on initial information, police do not believe that parties were known to each other or that there was any confrontation prior to the incident,” Const. Chantal Sears said in a statement.
Now, Kaur says she and her husband are afraid to go out, to talk to strangers, or to even open their door.
The couple keeps their home locked up at all times, with Kaur saying they always check twice before letting anyone in.
“It was like a bad nightmare for us,” she said of the stabbing.
Concern is now turning to how the couple will make a living, with Kaur noting her husband is the only one working.
Hospital bills have only added to those pressures.
“How do we pay the bill, groceries, and the rent? Because we are not able to pay all these things. We have nothing,” Kaur said.
A Gofundme has been set up for the couple, with more than $3,000 being raised as of Wednesday morning.
As Jatinder is not covered by MSP, the couple is anticipating a large hospital bill which will further be complicated by the fact he is the sole income earner.
White Rock Mayor Megan Knight says the incident is “deeply” concerning but notes there hasn’t been a significant spike in violent incidents in the community.
“Public safety is our foremost priority,” she said Monday.
The White Rock RCMP is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact investigators at 778-545-4800.
