Ethan Bespflug was a good kid and older brother who worked hard, helped look after his four siblings, and loved fishing with his stepfather, his aunt said.
On Tuesday, the 17-year-old was fatally stabbed on a Metro Vancouver bus.
Andrea Van Der Gracht said she’s currently caring for Bespflug’s sisters, aged 11 months and two years old, as his parents try to come to terms with the tragedy.
She said his mother realized something was wrong when she tracked Bespflug’s phone to a hospital in New Westminster. She rushed there and was told her son had died.
“This is a really good family, and this is going to break them,” Van Der Gracht said Thursday.
Bespflug also enjoyed spending time with his friends and playing video games, and he often picked up odd jobs to earn some extra money, said Van Der Gracht.
RCMP have said the stabbing happened just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on a bus in Surrey, not far from the King George SkyTrain station.
Police have yet to make any arrests and they’re still seeking witnesses.
The Mounties have said the stabbing appears to have been a targeted, isolated incident, with no connection to gang conflict in the Lower Mainland.
Van Der Gracht said Bespflug had gone to a friend’s house after school on Tuesday.
He regularly took the bus to Surrey, where his mother would pick him up to drive home to Abbotsford, she said, adding that the family had moved from Surrey last year, partly because of concerns about crime.
Bespflug had texted a friend that two other young people had boarded the bus and he wanted to get off at the next stop in order to avoid them, she said.
They allegedly stabbed him after he got up to try to get off the bus, she said.
Van Der Gracht is calling for security staff on board buses, noting the stabbing that killed her nephew was the second in as many weeks on a bus in Surrey.
The first victim, whose throat was slashed on April 1, is now recovering at home. A man has been charged with terrorism offences in that case, and police have said the attacks were unrelated.
“As a community, we need to be together,” Van Der Gracht said.
“We need to keep each other safe. Maybe we need more mental health support, more community outreach programs for teens and youth.”
Premier David Eby said Thursday that police have stepped up their patrols on buses and trains after Bespflug’s death, calling it every parent’s nightmare.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is reaching out to transit authorities and police to see if more resources are needed to ensure safety, Eby said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2023.
