Canadian Man Stabbed to Death After Telling Others Not to Vape Near His Daughter

A father, 37, was stabbed to death outside a Starbucks in downtown Vancouver, casting a shadow over the usually bustling area, according to reports today.

On Wednesday, passersby stopped to pay tribute to Paul Stanley Schmidt at a makeshift memorial made of flowers, pictures, and notes outside the café. 

Police stated that he was stabbed around 5:40 PM on Sunday after a brief argument.

Schmidt's mother said she was told the dispute started when her son asked another man not to vape near his toddler daughter.

Police reported that the suspect, Inderdeep Singh Gosal, was arrested shortly after at the scene, as bystanders pointed out a patrolling officer.

The 32-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder and is scheduled for a hearing at the Vancouver Provincial Court on April 11.

A chilling video shared on social media captured the moment of the stabbing.

Guilherme Gomes, manager of the nearby Sciue Italian Bakery Caffe, said many bystanders witnessed the stabbing, and customers appeared shocked.

"The atmosphere was one of fear because it was so close, and it could happen at any time here," he said.

"It's terrifying. How could someone do this?"

Police do not believe Schmidt and the suspect knew each other, and the details leading to the stabbing are still under investigation.

Officials attempted to save Schmidt, but he succumbed to his injuries after being taken to the hospital.

A GoFundMe page dedicated to Schmidt's family states he leaves behind a fiancée and a toddler. The fundraising effort was initiated by Lorraine Lowe, executive director of the Vancouver Sun Yat-sen Garden Society, who knows Schmidt's fiancée's cousin.

Lowe wrote on the fundraising page that this tragedy has impacted the entire community and has sent shockwaves of grief and heartbreak, making it heartbreaking to understand what his family had to witness.

Lowe said in an interview that she made a mistake by opening the video circulating online before realizing she knew the victim's fiancée's cousin.

"I couldn't sleep that night. I wanted to find a way to help this family," she said.

"What truly broke my heart was seeing the face of that little girl," she said, referring to a photo of Schmidt's daughter.

Schmidt's Facebook page is filled with photos of him and his young daughter.

Lowe added that crime has surged in some areas of downtown Vancouver in recent years.

"It started in Chinatown, and now I see it happening in Gastown and other areas downtown," she said. "We need to make a change."

On Wednesday, the Starbucks at the intersection of Granville and Pender streets reopened, with employees seen holding meetings inside.