The Forks attack victims were Ukrainian refugees new to Winnipeg
Two younger males who only recently fled the conflict in Ukraine to discover a higher life in Winnipeg had been the victims of a violent assault at The Forks on Canada Day, in accordance to a few who got here to their assist.
“It is one thing I’ve by no means skilled in my life earlier than — one thing you see on TV. And if you see it in individual, it is simply completely surprising,” Julya Zan stated in an interview with CBC on Sunday.
Zan, 26, and her husband, Jorge Torres, 32, had been out driving with a buddy round 10:30 p.m. Friday after they got here throughout the rapid aftermath of the assault, which she stated left a 22-year-old man with a stab wound in his neck and his 23-year-old buddy hit by pepper spray.
“He was screaming out that he wants assist. Like, ‘I need assistance. I need assistance,’ stated Torres.
The knife was nonetheless caught within the man’s neck, Torres stated.
Winnipeg police and The Forks officers have confirmed that one man was stabbed and one other pepper-sprayed. Police have stated little else in regards to the assault and haven’t introduced if any arrests had been made.
They stated Saturday that the Main Crimes unit was nonetheless investigating.
The incident marked the most recent in a sequence of violent crimes at The Forks over a number of days’ time. The 22-hectare web site in downtown Winnipeg, positioned on the junction of the Pink and Assiniboine rivers, is billed as a vacation spot and assembly place and is extensively frequented by vacationers.
Zan, who got here to Canada from Ukraine in 2010, was capable of translate, as neither man spoke a lot English.
“I am simply telling him like, breathe, … attempting to get him to maintain speaking,” stated Torres. “He is like, ‘I’ll die … I am dying.’ That is what he is saying. And he is just about laying in a pool of his blood at this level.”
Torres stated they had been instructed the lads had been crossing the road after they brushed shoulders with three males. When the Ukrainian males turned to apologize, they had been attacked and the assailants ran off, Torres stated.
Zan, Torres and their buddy occurred upon them a couple of minute later, Torres estimates.
Tried to calm sufferer
Whereas ready for paramedics to reach, Torres stated they discovered the lads had been refugees, had solely been in Canada for 2 weeks and, on Canada Day, moved into their downtown Winnipeg condo.
Zan stated their focus was attempting to maintain the stabbed man calm — whereas attempting to remain calm as nicely.
“However behind our heads, on the similar time, we’re like, this man may die proper now, proper right here, and there is nothing we are able to do,” she stated. “So I simply tried my finest to only inform him to settle down, that every thing’s going to be OK. Attempt to be constructive.”
Paramedics quickly after and rushed the stabbed man to hospital, Zan stated.
Males need to depart downtown
Zan stated she and the person’s buddy visited him in hospital early Saturday morning. He instructed her he was “feeling advantageous,” she stated. “I believe it is a bit of a miracle in my thoughts,” she stated.
The very first thing they needed to know, Zan stated, was whether or not they need to keep in Winnipeg.
“‘The place ought to we go,'” she stated they requested. “‘What’s the secure space?'” Zan stated she instructed them she’d take them round totally different areas of the town — however they need out of downtown and probably need to go to a different province, she stated.
“So it’s totally unlucky.”
