People who claim they knew Gabriel Brandon Klein during his stay in the Downtown Eastside say he was not one to lash out randomly.
But they say the 21-year-old, who is now charged with murdering a student at Abbotsford Senior Secondary Tuesday, was a regular user of what they call "jib" – crystal methamphetamine – and that can prompt delusions and irrational anger.
"He comes back and forth and does his own thing, he doesn't cause problems," said a man who gave his first name as James, on Hastings Street. "Normally he's all right. I've never seen him lash out."
Another man, Dale, described the young Albertan as a man who purchased crystal meth on the streets using money he got from "boosting" items.
"Stealing stuff from stores, ripping things off," Dale said, adding that Klein would sometimes go on runs far from the Downtown Eastside in order to find items to steal. He speculated that's what the young man was doing in Abbotsford.
Police have said that Klein was in Vancouver starting in March, before he came to Abbotsford. Piecing together the drifter's last few months has been difficult, even for officers.
It's not clear where he was staying in Abbotsford. Shelters contacted by CTV News would not confirm or deny his whereabouts.
Pastor Ward Draper of Five and Two Ministries said he'd never seen Klein.
"He's pretty new in town," Draper said.
He was seen leaving the BC Liquor Store on Sumas Way hours before the stabbing, which left one teenager seriously injured and another teenager dead.
If Klein was delusional before the stabbing, there would not have been much help for him in Abbotsford, Draper said.
"With diminishing resources in our community on so many levels, lack of housing, lack of social services, lack of mental health, there isn't much," he said.
Draper said he was concerned that citizens would take action against homeless people in general, pointing to a facebook posting that is attempting to organize people to "clean up" homeless camps.
