A teenager was seriously injured in a stabbing after a high school basketball game on Vancouver’s west side Monday night.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. at Eric Hamber Secondary School, in the aftermath of an emotional senior boys’ basketball game between Eric Hamber and Killarney Secondary that went to triple overtime.
Witnesses told CTV News the incident unfolded inside a school hallway, minutes after the game ended, and paramedics said one person was taken to hospital in stable condition.
In a news release Tuesday morning, the Vancouver Police Department said investigators believe fights broke out between spectators, “resulting in an 18-year-old boy being stabbed in the arm.”
No arrests have been made, police said, asking anyone who recorded video during the fight or while the game was taking place to submit it via an online portal the VPD has set up.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, VPD spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said “a number of fights” broke out after the game ended, and that tensions had been building during the game.
“There were a number of spectators who were there watching the game and there were some conflicts that arose during the game amongst some of the spectators,” Addison said. “Afterwards, as the game was ending and people were leaving, those conflicts turned into a physical altercation inside the school.”
Addison clarified that the victim was a former student, not a current student. He could not say what school the victim had attended.
“My understanding is he underwent surgery or significant medical treatment in hospital and is recovering,” Addison said.
He added that police are aware of another person who was less severely injured in the fight, and said there may be other victims police don’t yet know about.
Addison encouraged people with video of the altercation to use the online form to submit it, and urged them not to assume that police had already seen videos that were published on social media.
“That information (submitted through the portal) will be integral to us solving this case and holding the person or people responsible,” Addison said.
Witnesses and anyone else with information are also invited to speak to the VPD Youth Investigative Unit by calling 604-717-0614, police said.
More high school basketball games are scheduled in the coming days, and Addison said police are communicating with the Vancouver School Board about any public safety concerns related to them.
“Additional school liaison officers are being deployed to both schools,” the VPD said in its release. “They will provide additional support and conduct safety planning with staff and administrators.”
