Man seriously injured in LRT stabbing recovering in hospital, says family
The 19-year-old man who was stabbed and seriously injured in an attack at an Edmonton LRT platform earlier this week is recovering well from his injuries, his family said in a statement.
The victim, who has not been identified, was stabbed numerous times in what police called an "unprovoked" attack Tuesday morning at the South Campus LRT station. He was stabbed in the chest at around 7:40 a.m. by another man while waiting for the train.
In a statement issued by Alberta Health Services, the victim's family said they are grateful for everyone who helped him in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
"We would like to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to the bystanders who did all they could to help our son immediately after the incident. We will be forever grateful for their bravery, and for the assistance they provided our son," the statement said.
The family also thanked EMS, the Edmonton Police Service and the physicians and staff at the hospital where the victim remains in recovery.
"Our son is in a stable condition in hospital, and is recovering well from his injuries."
Attempted murder charge laid
Mario Bigchild, 24, has been charged with attempted murder in relation to the stabbing.
He has also been charged with assaulting a peace officer, disarming a peace officer, escaping lawful custody, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and two counts of robbery related to several other incidents that occurred the same morning.
About 20 minutes after the attack, police were called to a robbery at a Petro-Canada near 57th Avenue and 111th Street.
A man walked into the shop, assaulted an employee and stole merchandise, police said.
Outside in the parking lot, the suspect stole a woman's Cadillac and drove away.
Police used an electronic vehicle monitoring system to track the stolen Cadillac, and found it parked near 179th Street and 106A Avenue in west Edmonton.
Around 8:30 a.m., officers arrested Bigchild nearby.
Bigchild made his first court appearance Thursday via closed-circuit television from the medical unit at the Edmonton Remand Centre.
The court was told Bigchild has no previous criminal record. He has been denied bail.
He was told to connect with Legal Aid Alberta to obtain a lawyer, and is scheduled to next appear in court on Oct. 4.
