Vancouver police investigating fatal Chinatown stabbing

The Vancouver Police Department says a man was fatally stabbed early Wednesday morning in the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood.

The death is the city’s fourth homicide of 2024.

In a statement, the VPD says officers were called just before 3:30 a.m. after reports a man was in “medical distress” on Union Street, just west of Main Street.

First responders found that the man had been stabbed, police say, and despite attempts to save his life, the 32-year-old victim died at the scene.

During a news conference, Sgt. Steve Addison said while the victim has been identified, police are still working to notify the man’s family and next of kin.

“We’re not going to discuss any particulars about that person, including name, where that person lives, socioeconomic status, or anything like that, because we need to take some time to notify the person’s family, notify the next of kin, as well as better understand everything that happened here,” he said.

A white tent was set up along Union Street, north of the entrance to the Georgia Viaduct, during the morning commute.

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Yellow police tape was also set up around the area, as police officers investigate the circumstances around the victim’s death. The VPD says the area will be closed throughout the day as investigators collect evidence.

Police say no arrests have been made.

“Anytime a person has died as a result of a homicide, and the suspect is outstanding, certainly could be a cause for concern for people. I can tell you, at this stage, we have no specific information to suggest that there is an imminent or ongoing risk to anybody else in the community,” Addison said.

Anyone will information about the incident is being urged to call the VPD’s Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500.