The man who was killed in a double stranger attack downtown Vancouver on Wednesday has been identified as 70-year-old Francis David Laporte. Further information regarding the other victim, who had his hand severed, has not yet been released.The Vancouver Police Department only provided Laporte's name and age, opting not to reveal where he was from. The decision to keep the other victim's identity under wraps was made, "for privacy reasons," as he is still in hospital after undergoing surgery..According to Global News' Catherine Urquhart, sources familiar with the matter claimed that doctors were able to reattach his hand.The suspect, 34-year-old Brendan Colin McBride, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault. He is expected to appear in court on September 18.The first incident, in which the first victim had his hand hacked off, took place around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday near Cathedral Square on Richards St. and Dunsmuir St. Just minutes later, McBride allegedly killed Laporte a couple blocks over on West Georgia St. and Hamilton St. in front of the entertainment complex that houses the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Vancouver Playhouse. Around an hour passed before officers were called to Habitat Island near Olympic Village following reports of a man "behaving erratically" and yelling at strangers. McBride was promptly arrested and taken to the Vancouver Jail.VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer later explained that the suspect had a "lengthy history of mental health-related incidents," and had repeatedly had charges stayed for violent crimes against police officers and healthcare workers. He called on politicians to end the "revolving door of justice" and keep violent criminals off the streets.
