Dozens gather to celebrate life of 17-year-old who was fatally stabbed on Surrey bus

A celebration of life was held in a Surrey park Thursday for 17-year-old Ethan Bespflug, who was fatally stabbed on board a transit bus last week.

The afternoon was emotional, drawing dozens of relatives, friends and police officers to Holland Park to remember the teen.

Bespflug was on his way home when he was attacked near King George Boulevard and 100th Avenue on April 11.

On Thursday, Bespflug’s mother and step-father both spoke during the service.

“I don’t have much to say because I feel like basically my whole being is gone, my soul is gone with Ethan,” said Holly Indridson, Bespflug’s mother, to the crowd.

“He was the most gentle, kind, polite, and he was so thoughtful.”

She described Bespflug’s final day with their family spent teaching his little sister how to ride her bike.

The teen leaves behind four younger siblings.

“Our paths are varied and we all look at life in different ways, but there’s one thing we have in common: it's that in one point or another or in one degree or another, all of our lives have been touched by the life of Ethan Bespflug,” said Barry Slocombe, the funeral celebrant, during Thursday's service.

More than $25,000 had been raised by Thursday afternoon in a GoFundMe campaign supporting the costs of Ethan’s funeral. 

“I just hope that his memory lives on and people can learn from these kinds of acts and there's change,” Indridson said. “Just be kind. Show love.”

Police have arrested a suspect in connection to Bespflug’s death. Twenty-year-old Kaiden Mintenko has been charged with second-degree murder. Police confirmed the suspect was "known to police."