Caught-on-camera stabbing at Vancouver Tim Hortons sends man to hospital with serious injuries

Warning: Details in this story may be disturbing for some readers.

Police in Vancouver say they're investigating an alarming, unprovoked stabbing that sent one person to hospital with life-threatening injuries over the weekend.

The attack, which was caught on surveillance camera, happened at a Tim Hortons in downtown Vancouver early Saturday morning. Police said the 25-year-old victim was waiting at the fast food restaurant when a suspect suddenly came up to him from behind and repeatedly stabbed him in the back and shoulder. The suspect then ran from the store, police said.

While the victim's injuries were serious and life-threatening, he was taken to hospital and is now expected to survive.

"This disturbing incident has all the hallmarks of a random attack that came completely without warning, and we’re increasingly worried about the public’s safety," Sgt. Steve Addison said in a news release.

"We need anyone who witnessed this assault to come forward, and we urge anyone who recognizes the suspect to call police."

Addison said the suspect and the victim don't know each other and it didn't seem like they had much of an interaction before the attack.

"We don't know if there was a motive for this attack, and the fact that it appears random and unprovoked is extremely concerning," Addison said.

Police are hoping witnesses of the incident, which happened at about 6:20 a.m. at the Harbour Centre Tim Hortons on West Hastings Street, will help identify the suspect.

He's described by investigators as a man in his 20s who is about 6'2" tall. He has short, black hair and a slim build. Police said he was wearing a grey hoodie that had a black hood and black sleeves, grey and black jeans and black shoes with white soles. He was also wearing a black and white face mask with a Crooks and Castles logo on it at the time.

Just days before Saturday's incident, police released security video of another unprovoked attack downtown. That incident, which police said happened on New Year's Eve, showed a man grab a 22-year-old woman then throw her against the wall of Hotel Georgia. 

The woman was able to get the man off of her, and he can be seen in the video picking up his bag and walking off.

"We recognize these incidents cause significant anxiety and trepidation in the community," Addison said. "However, it’s important that we talk about them so we can solve these crimes and people can make informed decisions about their personal safety."

Anyone with information about Saturday's stabbing is asked to call major crime investigators at 604-717-2541.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kendra Mangione