Updated: Thu Jul. 31 2008 16:35:18
CTV.ca News Staff
Police in Winnipeg said Thursday they do not know what triggered a vicious attack on a Greyhound bus the night before that led to the beheading of a passenger.
Witnesses say a man was stabbed to death and then decapitated in what appears to be a random act of violence on board the bus that was en route to Winnipeg late Wednesday.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve Colwell said a 40-year-old suspect is in custody and police were preparing to interview him. No charges have been laid.
Colwell would not confirm passenger reports that a man repeatedly stabbed his seat-mate before beheading him.
He said passengers had already left the bus when officers arrived at the scene near Portage la Prairie, Man. He added that police apprehended the suspect when he tried to escape the bus by jumping out a window.
Colwell said the actions of the passengers and driver may have prevented any other attacks from occurring.
"It's not something that happens regularly on a bus," said Colwell. "You're sitting there enjoying your trip and then all of a sudden somebody gets stabbed. I imagine it would be pretty traumatic ... the way they acted was extraordinary."
"They were very brave. They reacted swiftly, calmly in exiting the bus and as a result nobody else was injured."
Shocked witnesses said the victim, described as between the ages of 18 to 20, was sleeping with his head against the window when the attack occurred.
Garnet Caton, who was sitting in front of the victim, heard the commotion and turned around thinking he was going to witness a fight.
Caton told CTV News that once he realized what was going on he screamed: "Stop the bus, somebody's getting stabbed, everyone get the hell off."
The bus driver pulled over on a section of the east-bound Trans-Canada Highway -- about 15 kilometres west of Portage la Prairie -- and many of the 37 passengers began to flee the bus.
Passengers attempt rescue
Caton gathered a small group of people to go back and help the victim, said CTV correspondent Murray Oliver in Winnipeg.
"They returned to the back of the bus to find that the person who was stabbing the person in the neck had now sawed off the head of (the victim)."
The man, with the head in one hand and the knife in the other, then tried to attack the other passengers, said Oliver.
The group was able to exit the bus and slammed the door behind them.
The man then stabbed the door with his knife but was unable to break through and get off the bus. Eventually, he attempted to start up the bus to drive away but the operator had hit a switch, disabling the vehicle.
Oliver said a truck driver then arrived at the scene and handed out wrenches and crowbars to several men. The small group gathered around the door to the bus and prevented the man from exiting until police arrived.
Cody Olmstead, a Nova Scotia man who was on the bus, said that the killer taunted the men who were blocking the door from the outside.
"He cut (the victim's) head off and then walked up to the door holding it and just looked at them crazy-like and then dropped the head and walked back to the body and started cutting it some more," Olmstead told CTV News from outside a hotel in Brandon, Man., where he and other passengers were taken.
The man was left alone with the body and witnesses say that he performed further indignities to the victim.
"We have word from people on the scene . . . that when the killer was alone with the body . . . that there may have been some small acts of cannibalism on the body," Oliver said.
Oliver said that police have not confirmed that, but have not denied it either.
The suspect
RCMP eventually arrested the man after a standoff lasting several hours, said Oliver.
Witnesses said the suspect was tall, large and wearing sunglasses, even though it was dark.
David Eastwick, a passenger on the bus, told CTV News that he noticed that there seemed to be something "wrong" with the suspect even before the attack.
"He look kind of suspicious when I saw him," a clearly-tired Eastwick said Thursday. "Most people if you say 'Hi' to them they say 'Hi' back to you but this one just looked back and (stared.)"
"I knew something was wrong (with) his mind."
Greyhound provides counselling
Abby Wambaugh, media relations spokeswoman for Greyhound, said the company is now working with Transport Canada to review bus security.
She called the situation tragic but said travelling by bus is still "the safest mode of transportation in the country."
Wambaugh also said Greyhound is fully co-operating with the RCMP investigation.
Passengers will be escorted to Winnipeg once they are interviewed by RCMP, said Wambaugh.
Once there, Greyhound will provide counselling for any passengers who want the service, she said.
Government responds
Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Thursday he was shocked when he heard about the incident.
"Like most Canadians I'm horrified to hear of the account," Day said. "It's more than most people can even contemplate."
He said it was "probably one-of-a-kind in Canadian history."
The minister said he's not entertaining any notion of registering knives as dangerous weapons given that millions of kitchen knives alone are sold annually.
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Add Comments(32)
Clint
Safest transportation in the country...obviously she hasn't riden on one of her own buses, at night, in small town Canada.
KAREN RUGGLES
MAYBE LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE KITCHEN BUTCHER KNIVES BUT WITH THE PROPER SECURITY FOR BUSES WHAT EXCUSE COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE TO NEED A BIG BUTCHER KNIFE ON A BUS????? IT SHOULD BE THE SAME SECURITY MEASURES AS THE AIRPORTS AS IT IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTION, AND SHOULD BE SAFE FOR ALL TO USE
Brad
Security of passengers needs to be taken more seriously. A year ago a man threatened to suffocate my mother and throw here in garbage bin.
Greyhound security or the police (only 4 blocks away)took no interest in helping us out.
lerinnea
the man who did the slaying should be held responsible... and those who saw it should have to see a counselor.. making it mandatory.....
Erin
It really is a nightmare come true..I send my thoughts and prayers out to the murdered man's family. I agree that public transportation like Greyhound needs some major security measures taken...when any crazy person can walk onto a bus filled with 37 people hiding a butcher knife, something is definitely wrong!!!
Karen.
I feel so sorry for the victim's family, and the victim. However, I have no smypathy for the attacker.
Derek
The Public Motor Coach services of this country should have in place same security measures as airports and international traval. The saftey of the nations travellers is now at risk.
Jan Baldwin
And what do we as a society going to do with this person? I know I don't want to ever hear that he's been released.
I have a hard enough time getting a decent sleep as it is.
Whatever becomes of him I don't think I'm alone in wanting to at least hear an explanation - preferably from his own lips - as to why he did it.
Tanya Jones
Of course my sympathies go out to the victims' family and to those who witnessed this gruesome attack. My concern is about the state of our community and peoples' refusal to act on behalf of others' safety. Out of 37 passengers on this bus, why did no one make an attempt to intervene. Could 4 or 5 people not have apprehended the assailant and possibly saved the young mans' life? I agree that this would be a dangerous manouvre, but the man had a knife, not an automatic weapon, and lacerations and possible stab wounds to some could have potentially saved the life and the gruesome beheading of another. Many are requesting that legislation impose further restrictions on our liberties now with increased security. This will mean more inconvenience and less freedom for EVERYONE travelling. No nail clippers, no razors, no lighters...do we really want the government to lay down more rules for us? I don't choose NOT to kill because the law tells me I can't or because security measures have been taken to prevent my from carrying what could be used as a weapon. Most of us don't require government to tell us what is morally correct. Wouldn't a free society that consists of individuals who respect each others' liberties and are willing to protect them (even at a cost to themselves) be better? I understand that I was not on the bus and do not have full details, but the fact that this crime can occur in front of dozens of people is a sad reminder that people often turn away from crimes in progress. As a community, we should take care of each other and protect each others' liberties. Do you really think the only reason this murder took place is because there was no metal detector at the bus station? If this was the case, wouldn't this be a regular occurance?
Marly L.
The Greyhound buses are safe. Nonsense! That is why "the business class uses Red Arrow. Reservations are made, names addresses and phone numbers are given and yes it is ten dollars more, but what a difference in the class of people who ride the Red Arrow. After this incident Red Arrow should increase their routes! The reason that there is no system like this on Greyhound is that they are cheap. I rode Greyhound once -= never again!
Ryan
terrible story, here in California, he would have been shot dead, before he got that far.
Steph
This is truly a nightmare.. My sympathys to the victims family and of those who had to witness this.. I used the Greyhound regularly and cannot imagine the horror that these passengers witnessed.. I agree and think security needs to be looked at more seriously. I know from experience that i have seen intoxicated people ride on these buses.. we are left alone with these passengers at stops and are in the dark during night hours... this is something that can happen at anytime, but should not be happening on a SECURE way of travel.. I think that the woman that had made her statement was incorrect.. this is the most dangerous way of travelling.. there is nothing stopping someone from murdering another on these buses.. and its sad that it took this to make people seriously look at our safety.. Mabey greyhound will take a better look at this when there passenger rate drops...as for the person that caused this, i hope he gets the harshest punishment in the book and he never steps foot in civilization again..
k
This guy, who i knew breifly,(but good enough to know he was a really good guy) did not deserve this at all. I am close to his brother and my boyfriend is like a part of his family too. They don't deserve this pain and suffering. This guy should get no less punishment then what he gave him and the family.
D. M. W.
To Tanya Jones - Give your head a shake. I could not believe what I was reading. I hope you never experience what these passengers went through and if you ever do I expect to read about your extreme bravery.
wanda
Indeed my sympathy goes out to the victim and his family. How is it that a bus company this large does not have terminal security? Why is it that something of this magnitude has to happen before security measures are put into place? Seeing these horrific videos from my home computer was enough to imagine how all these victims felt during their journeys abroad. This is something that will be on the minds of these travellers for months maybe even years to come. I think that Greyhound and the public safety minister needs to act immediately and implement security on public transportation for the safety of the public. This may have been a random act but one that could have avoided a catastrophic tragedy such as this one.
Deb
I have just returned from sending my son out on an evening bus from the Sault and felt somewhat apprehensive. He has described various creapy incidents with disturbed passengers yelling at the driver and passengers etc over the miles he has traveled. We have to use the bus. It is economical when you look at other forms of travel. I just think that some care has to be taken to monitor what gets allowed on board in people's carryon. It's 2008 and time to implement security measures to protect the safety of those who are entrusted to Greyhound. I would think the bus drivers would be demanding to feel more secure too. They are sitting ducks on the long stretches of Canadian highway.
Debbie Murray
I think this is the saddest thing I've ever heard. My heart breaks for the young man who's life was taken. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
wes
Unfortunately in Canada you have to kill way more than just one person to spend the rest of your living days in jail.
Bernardo killed what, 5 and he will still have the right to ask for release. So 5 isnt enough. Jokestise Canadian style.
I purposely left out the common terms used about jail sentences as they have lost there meaning.
Lee
It would be interesting to see if Tanya Jones, from a previous comment, would have stayed on the bus to help protect the victim and risk her own life. . . shoulda woulda coulda . . . people were scared for their lives in a chaotic, frenzied, threatening environment and Tanya is upset no one stayed on the bus, putting their own life in further jeopardy, because they didn't have an epiphany Tanya thinks they should have had to help uphold everyone's personal freedom from further government travel safety regulations?? Get a grip Tanya - like I said, it would be interesting to see if Tanya Jones would have stayed on the bus in the midst of all that was happening...it sure sounds like she would have been there preaching to the passengers to look out for our personal freedoms and get back on that bus...come on passengers, what are you thinking trying to stay alive ?!?!?!
S. Chorney
I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family of the victim, as well as those people (passangers, bus driver, police, etc.) who had to witness this horrific act of violence. Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Jo
I think that all bus lines should implament security screening to protect their customers. This was an unfortunate freak incident that will probably never happen again, but that does not mean that other types of incidents will not occur in the future.
I disagree with their statement "it is the safest mode of transporation in the country". If the buses let people bring whatever they want on board, that is not really safe now is it?
Thoughts and prayers for those affected by this terrible tragedy.
Rochelle Van Buskirk
I know that if this man had the capacity to commit such a horrific crime,he would have probably done it anyway if not on a Greyhound bus. That being said however,I have to say that I am once again stunned by the lack of safety and security measures taken by Greyhound, and am as equally stunned by the government's lack of enforcing those measures.
Last year, my teenaged son made regular Greyhound trips from Edmonton to Grande Prairie.I thank God that he was not on the trip in which the bus flipped and three people lost their lives because they were thrown out of the windows.I was outraged at the fact that passengers do not have the option to wear a seatbelt,and outraged further when it was announced that Greyhound would not be installing seatbelts. I saw that bus after the accident, and I am absolutely convinced that those two women and that little baby would be alive and well had they been strapped in.
Now we have a seriously unstable individual who is able to board the bus with a knife? Are you kidding me? In this day and age when safety to travellers is of the utmost importance? Security in an airport is so strict that we cannot board a plane with so much as a water bottle in our possession.Yet Greyhound can't install a simple metal detector for passengers to pass through? And hold their "weaponry" until they reach their destination? It wouldn't be perfect,but it would be a start. Abby Wambaugh is in total denial if she thinks that travel by Greyhound is "the safest mode of transportation in the country". That might be true if we were living in the sixties,but we're not.Greyhound has gotten so far behind the times that it has,in my opinion,become negligent,and for some strange reason,our government has allowed it.
My heart is heavy for the family of the young man who so tragically lost his life that night,and I know that it was the will of one individual that caused this to happen.I wish we could say that Greyhound took every measure to assure the safety of it's passengers, and that this man went to great lengths to carry out this atrocity,but sadly this is not the case.
Unless serious changes occur to step safety and security WAY up,my teenaged son,along with the rest of my family, will never ride with Greyhound again.
laur
This is very sad and horribly tragic.My heart and prayers are with the victim and his family.
Mary
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim, as well as all the innocent people involved. It is truly heartwrenching. That is a main bus route i use frequently and it is very scary to think about it, and they should definetly do something about the security of the passengers and drivers. Big deal if it costs more money, it's the security of people and lives we are dealing with here so it should not matter. You want to feel safe when you are travelling and know that the bus companys are doing all they can. I pray for everyone who had to witness that and a young innocent life lost. I hope that that the killer gets the maximum penaltys possible
Lanna
First of all my sympathy goes out to the victums family, and the victum as well. I travel from BC to Alberta just to visit my sister, and after seeing this on the news, I am scared to even use the bus anymore. I travel on the greyhound twice a year just to go and visit with family. There should be some type of security in place for passengers and employers of grey hound as there is no type of security in place BC greyhound for situations Like that, and I can probably say that I may never use the bus after seeing that on the news.
Kyle
I just read a story two weeks ago about an evil spirit that eats human flesh that can overtake a humans body. This was in the Edmonton Sun. There have been several cases like this in the past. im going to check this out a little more.A spirit call Windigo or something like that. Weird, acts of canibalisim. Scary!
Daryn
I used to ride Greyhound when I was in University, its a good company. Having said that, often people catch these buses at small un-staffed locations, in the early evening or at night. It is not unusual to buy tickets directly from the bus driver.
My suggestion is as a minimum,
1) people should be required and encouraged to leave their large bags in the bus storage area.
2)Hand bags should have a maximum size requirement and only one hand bag per person.
3)the bus driver should have a quick look inside each bag, similar to Walmart security measures, as he collects tickets and people enter the bus.
4) Everyone's bag should be checked to avoid issues like racial profiling.
5) Drivers should be required to do some sort of security training.
RJ
Tanya, would YOU have intervened? Or gotten yourself off of that bus? No one really knows how they will respond, until faced with the situation. I do agree with you, however, in saying that metal detectors wouldn't have necessarily prevented this crime. On the bus, maybe - but if not on the bus, this disturbed person would have committed it somewhere else.
Julie
My God! People are just getting more "insane"....My sympathies go out to the the victim and his family. This is just an "unthinkable" crime. The criminal should just be locked away with the key thrown away...This is when I think about bringing back Corporal punishment for people who are known to be guilty "beyond a shadow of a doubt." It makes me sick to my stomach. Those poor people who witnessed it! That will be forever "etched" in their minds....
Apple
My sympathies go out to the victim's family.
Tanya - are you for real? Do you live in reality? It is easier said than done. You weren't there, as you pointed out, so you can't say you would have intervined. They said a few guys went back to try to help so it's not like they left the victim in there to die on purpose. I think they were more concerned for the welfare of 37 other people vs one.
Kerry
bus travel is and always will be the safest form of travel unfortunately we are now have to totally screen everyone before they get on just as they do at the airport. This will also mean a rise in fares to pay for the extra personnel. Too bad this is they way the world is coming to.
Holly
First and foremost I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim for their tragic loss.
In reply to an earlier comment left about the actions of the fellow passengers, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the way they acted. We as outsiders were NOT on that bus and we have NO idea how something like that affects people in the moment. I personally doubt that I would have been able to do anything but stand in shock or run for my life. To criticize people who have been through a traumatic experience such as this is terribly wrong. The only person who should be criticized is the individual who carried out the heinous act.
The fact that several individuals were brave enough to go back onto the bus once others were safely removed is truly commendable. They unfortunately, by that point, could do nothing. It sounds like it happened extremely fast. Put yourself in their shoes. Please do not patronize the actions of others in a situation you have I'm sure never experienced yourself.
You used the word 'inconvenience' to describe possible further restrictions that may be imposed on public transportation. Would you describe it as an inconvenience if those restrictions one day saved the life of someone you love? I doubt it.
I believe you're right that government does not need to dictate what is morally right to the vast majority of us but what about the lack of morale the killer had for the victim's liberties? A free society should not lay in the hands of the victim or the bystanders on the bus, it should start with a much larger entity.
We should not need to travel in fear, but the reality is, most of us now will. And although further restrictions may not stop people from acting violently, it may prevent them from ever stepping onto the bus in the first place. I'd rather travel "inconvenienced", without my nail clippers, and arrive safely at the end of my journey.
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