‘All of them fought for their lives’: teen stabbed in group assault after concert By: Erik Pindera Posted: 12:53 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 19, 2023 Last Modified: 1:11 PM CDT Tuesday, Jun. 20, 2023 Updates

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This article was published 19/06/2023 (1207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 17-year-old who was stabbed while protecting his family from a group of teens after a concert Saturday night in downtown Winnipeg is a hero, his father says.

The dad, who asked his name be withheld out of concern for retaliation against the family, told the Free Press his son is in a coma at the Health Sciences Centre after he was stabbed multiple times, including once in the heart.

“What the hell is wrong with this city?” the 47-year-old lamented in a phone interview Monday, describing his son as a hard worker who doesn’t get in trouble.

“What the hell is wrong with this city?”–Victim’s father

The man said his 15-year-old daughter, along with her step-sister, had gone to the June 17 concert — American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie played the downtown arena as part of his Me vs. Myself Tour — as a birthday present from her mother.

The stabbing victim and his pregnant girlfriend went to the concert, too.

As the concert let out around 10:30 p.m., the teen and his girlfriend met up with his sisters and mom, who had offered a ride home.

“They’re laughing, having a good old time, and a small gang of… three or four (teen girls) started yelling at them… because they didn’t attend the concert, probably couldn’t afford to go to the concert, and they were mad at how pretty all the girls were: ‘Oh, look at your bling, you think you’re all that, dressed nice,’” said the dad, relaying what he had been told by family and other witnesses.

The dad said the group told off the teens — adding the group was just heading home and not bothering anyone — before the attack on his 15-year-old daughter.

“Four girls jumped her, and that small group… turned into over 10, mostly girls, maybe four boys,” he said, adding the assailants appeared to be in their early-to-mid-teens.

The fight turned into a brawl, with the victim’s mother stepping in to help, before she was swarmed, too.

“My son went in and started smashing them… but he now became the main threat and they pulled out the knife. He was stabbed multiple times in the stomach, once in the lung and once in the heart,” said the dad, his voice strained.

“He’s a goddamn hero… He was saving his mom, his sisters and his beautiful woman and baby, without a thought for himself… If he wasn’t there, dear God, how bad would it have been? All of them fought for their lives.”

A nursing student passing by jumped in to help — screaming at people to stop and assist as other concertgoers milled nearby — and began first aid on the bleeding 17-year-old, the father said, criticizing others who witnessed the attack but didn’t intervene.

The teen offenders scattered, the man said, as police made their way to the scene. One officer took over first aid from the student, giving the 17-year-old CPR.

“He’s a goddamn hero… He was saving his mom, his sisters and his beautiful woman and baby, without a thought for himself…”–Victim’s father

Major crimes investigators, who are handling the case, have not yet made any arrests, police said Monday.

They asked for anyone with information to call the major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

A Winnipeg Police Service source confirmed the victim had been stabbed while stepping in to protect his family, describing the injuries as potentially fatal.

“I was told he died on the pavement… but with first aid, they refused to give up, and they got him in the ambulance. They did first aid for 25, 30 minutes,” said the dad, effusing praise on police officers, the Good Samaritan, paramedics and hospital staff.

“HSC did things that are beyond epic.”

The teen has gone through multiple surgeries and numerous blood transfusions, his heart stopping on the operating table, the man said Monday.

“As I understand, his heart is beating on its own. He’s starting to get function back in his kidneys, his liver’s shutdown, and now, it’s a waiting game,” said the dad.

“The biggest thing is to see, if he wakes up, how much damage the lack of oxygen’s causing.”

“As I understand, his heart is beating on its own… and now, it’s a waiting game.”–Victim’s father

News of the assault on the 17-year-old came after Winnipeg police released information Sunday about three other unrelated June 17 stabbings: one on William Avenue, another on Redwood Avenue, and a third near Stadacona Street and Tweed Avenue.

Major crimes investigators, who are handling each case, have not announced arrests in any of the respective incidents.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

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