What we know about the suspect in the downtown Vancouver attacks
Brendan Colin McBride, 34, was on probation during alleged incidents; previously convicted of assault
The man facing charges in connection to a pair of recent attacks in downtown Vancouver that left one man dead and another with a severed hand was previously twice on probation for assault, according to court documents.
White Rock, B.C., resident Brendan Colin McBride, 34, was charged with aggravated assault and second-degree murder on Thursday, a day after the attacks, which police said were random and unprovoked.
Vancouver police said around 7:40 a.m. PT Wednesday, they received reports of a man who had been attacked near Cathedral Square at Richards and Dunsmuir streets.
Officers found a man in his 50s who had been attacked with a knife. He was bleeding from his head, and his hand had been severed.
Less than 10 minutes later, officers were called to West Georgia and Hamilton streets after a second man was attacked outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. First responders were unable to save the man's life. He has been identified as 70-year-old Francis David Laporte.
Vancouver police Chief Constable Adam Palmer said McBride appears to be a "very troubled man who has a lengthy history of mental health-related incidents."
2 probation orders
Court records show he was sentenced to 12 months probation in July 2022 for one count of assault causing bodily harm in relation to an incident in North Vancouver in early 2021.
His conditions included keeping the peace, being of good behaviour and not possessing any weapons.
In April of this year, he was sentenced to 18 months probation after he was convicted of assaulting a man in White Rock in September 2023.
He was to report to a probation officer until they were satisfied that McBride had completed all of his counselling and treatment, according to court documents.
Police said they're investigating whether mental health was a contributing factor in the attacks, an issue Simon Fraser University clinical psychologist Julian Sommers says B.C. has struggled to deal with for decades.
"We are increasingly relying on our courts and the corrections system to respond to problems associated with mental illness, including addictions," said Sommers in an interview with CBC News.
B.C.'s public safety minister, Mike Farnworth, has said "more assertive treatment tools for people struggling with severe mental health challenges, addictions and brain injuries" are needed.
"That's why David Eby brought on a world-renowned doctor, Dr. Vigo, to spearhead that work, as we also take action to expand access to other mental health and treatment supports," Farnworth said in a statement Thursday.
McBride's next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 18.
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