Man, 28, charged with second-degree murder as North Vancouver reels from violent attack

Policehave charged a 28-year-old man with second-degree murder following a string of stabbings on Saturday afternoon in North Vancouver that killed one woman and sent six people to hospital.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team(IHIT) said on Sunday thatYannick Bandaogo has been charged in the attack near a neighbourhood library. The IHIT said in a written statement thatBandaogo has undergone surgery for self-inflicted injuriesand is in police custody.

Police have not named the woman who diedbut say she was in her 20s. Investigators saidthey're still trying to determine whether Bandaogo had any relationship with his alleged victims.

A makeshift memorial grewoutside of the Lynn Valley public librarya day after the mayhem.

Bouquets weredropped off outside the North Vancouver branch, while a "Lynn Valley strong" sign wasplaced nearby, matching the neon police tape. On awooden bench lining the sidewalk, alarge blood stain remained.

The quiet suburb of the city's North Shore is a haven for young families and retired couples. But at about2 p.m. on Saturday, North Vancouver RCMPtook a suspect a man in his 20s into custody after the stabbings.

Footage of the arrestcaptured on a cellphone shows a man in black lying on his stomach on the ground before being surrounded by officers.

'Lucky to be alive'

Leah Michayluk said her sister,Sheloah Klausen, was inside the library attending a book sale with her 10-year-old daughter when the attacker ran in and started stabbing a woman there.

Michayluk said Klausen told her daughter to run and hide. ThenKlausen, a local teacher, tried to stop the attacker with her umbrella.

"And that is when he started stabbing and slashing her," said Michayluk.

According to Michayluk, Klausen was taken to hospital to treat a slashed hand and astab wound in her skull."They said she was lucky to be alive," Michayluk said.

Klausen was discharged from the hospital Sunday,Michayluk said. She added that Klausenis resting at home with her husband and daughter, trying like other people affected by the violence to make sense of it all.

"Through all her injuries she's worrying about other families and what they're going through," Michayluksaid.

WATCH | Police arrest suspect after multiple stabbings in North Vancouver:

Police arrest suspect after multiple stabbings in North Vancouver, B.C.

3 years ago

Duration 0:20

Police apprehended a man in his 20s near a library and mall where people were stabbed Saturday afternoon.

Witnesses working and shopping in the area described locking themselves inside a shop and phoning 911, seeing the suspect being taken down by what appeared to be rubber bulletsand looking on in horror as he wielded a large knife.

The attack has shaken the community of Lynn Valley, a neighbourhood at the northern edge of Metro Vancouver nestled between Mount Seymour and Mount Fromme and known for its proximity to deep trails.

Piper French, who works at area restaurant Browns Socialhouse, said she was driving by on Saturday when she saw ambulances, police cruisersand a throng of people who appeared to have been evacuated fromthe library.

"It was quite shocking because everyone looked quite scared," she said.

"I don't even know what to say because this is such a safe neighborhood.... There's always kids out there riding their bikes. Especially in broad daylight I've never felt unsafe here until now ... it's a little bit unsettling."

Tim Hill, who works in an office around the corner from the scene and witnessed the aftermath of the stabbing, said he moved to the neighbourhood 11 years ago because he felt it would be a safe, quiet place to raise his daughter.

"There's no violent crime that you ever hear about around here.There's the occasional break-in, but it's a very quiet, peaceful neighbourhood with a lot of young families," he said.

"It's really shocking and upsetting, and we're still trying to process what happened, really."

Police seek motive for attack

Sgt. Frank Jang of theIHIT which serves 28 RCMP and four municipal police communities in British Columbia said key tothe case will be establishing a motive for the attack. He said the accused manhas had interactions with police in the past.

"Obviously the question is why did this happen, I understand. We believe we know the how, the what, the where and the when. It is our job now to determine why,'' he told a news conference near the library on Saturday.

"Everylittle thing is important on this one. If you heard anything, if you were here and you saw the man that was taken into custody, if you heard him saying anything or whatever the case may be, we need you to come forward.''

Jonathan Wilkinson, the MP for North Vancouver who is also Canada'senvironment minister,issued a statement on Twitter saying the "horrific incident" at the library left him "shocked and shaken."

"This library has been a secure place for families to gather inthe Lynn Valley community for years. Until today, it was unimaginable that such a senseless act ofviolence could have occurred in the very heart of it.''

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also offered condolences to the victimsin a tweetlater on Saturday.

"My heart is in North Vancouver tonight," he wrote. "To everyone affected by this violent incident in Lynn Valley, know that all Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured."