Suspect in stabbing, two other homicides was hospital employee, Winnipeg health authority says
A suspect in a Wednesday afternoon stabbing at Seven Oaks General Hospital, which has been linked to two other homicides, was an employee at the hospital, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority confirmed Thursday.
The three incidents, which police say are related, include a homicide in the R.M. of Hanover, a stabbing at the Seven Oaks Hospital and a man found dead in the 300 block of Toronto Street in Winnipeg.
The incidents began at around 12:40 p.m., when RCMP went to conduct a well-being check on a resident at a home in New Bothwell.
When Mounties got to the scene, they found a 73-year-old woman dead inside the home.
Following initial investigations, at around 1:30 p.m., RCMP officers contacted Winnipeg police about the homicide as they believed the suspect had gone to Winnipeg.
“At that time the only information available to the RCMP was that a single homicide had occurred and that a potential suspect had been identified,” said Cpl. Julie Courchaine of the Manitoba RCMP at a news conference on Thursday.
“As the search for the suspect continued, it evolved into a much larger investigation.”
Around 2:30 p.m., Winnipeg police discovered the suspect might be in the area of Leila Avenue and McPhillips Street.
While heading to this area, police learned of a stabbing at Seven Oaks Hospital.
Winnipeg police officers went to the hospital and found a woman in her 60s with serious injuries. She was taken to another hospital in critical condition.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority confirmed Thursday that the stabbing victim worked at the hospital, and that the suspect was an employee of Seven Oaks Hospital. The suspect was not on shift during the time of the stabbing.
The WRHA noted the victim was not the direct manager of the suspect.
Mike Nader, the CEO of the WRHA, said the victim is out of surgery and is in critical, but stable condition.
A man in his 30s was taken into custody, but no charges have been laid at this time. Police note the suspect is currently undergoing a medical assessment.
Later in the evening on Wednesday, RCMP officers went to the 300 block of Toronto Street for their homicide investigation regarding the woman found dead in Hanover.
A man in his 70s was found dead on Toronto Street. The Winnipeg police’s homicide unit has taken over this investigation, and officers with the unit were still at the home on Thursday.
Police confirmed the suspect was known to both of the homicide victims.
“There was a really good collaborative effort with the RCMP and the Winnipeg police yesterday,” said Constable Dani McKinnon of the Winnipeg Police Service.
“Everyone worked in a timely manner and quite effectively to draw links.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service’s homicide unit at 204-986-6508, the RCMP’s major crime service at 431-489-8105, or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.
Nader said the staff at the hospital are shocked and dealing with the stress of the incident.
“They’re used to seeing people come in injured and hurt. They’re not used to seeing their co-worker beside them,” he said, noting support, assistance and spiritual care is being offered to staff members.
“This has been a very traumatic event.”
He noted the hospital has added additional security.
The Seven Oaks General Hospital is safe, secure, and open to visitors, Nader said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.