Kelowna, B.C., family issues warning after senior stabbed by stranger in broad daylight

The family of a Kelowna, B.C., woman who was stabbed in broad daylight is seeking answers both about what happened, and about how RCMP are handling the case.

Stephen Wright says that his sister, who he describes as a vulnerable senior, was walking to the bank in the neighbourhood where she's lived for decades on the morning of Dec. 2.

That's when she was approached by a man walking in the opposite direction, in the 1100-block of Sutherland Avenue near the Capri Centre Mall.

"He seemed quite aggravated and was talking and yelling loud to himself," Wright said, saying his sister stepped into the bike lane to avoid the man.

"He leapt at her, grabbed her and ... punched her really hard in the chest," before running away, Wright said.

It wasn't until she noticed she was bleeding that his sister realized she'd been stabbed, not punched, and got help to be taken to hospital and get surgery for her injuries.

CBC News is not naming the victim, who is in her early 60s, to protect her identity.

"My sister is a senior and she's vulnerable," Wright said.

"She has a life, that's full of pattern and routine, that's all been torn down — and now she's very afraid to just go outside her door because this person has not been caught."

He said she needs a walker to get around, and is unlikely to go back to work and her daily routine for "many months."

Wright says, aside from the impact on his sister, he's concerned that RCMP have yet to put out any sort of public warning — despite saying the person who stabbed his sister is still at large and seemingly targeted his sister at random.

"Everyone around here is potentially at risk, and we're very concerned," he said.

"[We're] feeling really abandoned, or unsupported, by the RCMP."

Police collecting 'trauma-informed statements'

Kelowna RCMP have confirmed a "reported stabbing incident" took place at the time and location described by Wright, and say there is no evidence the attack was targeted.

CBC News requested an interview with police to respond to some of the concerns expressed by Wright.

Those included questions about why no public warning had been released — despite the fact the apparent perpetrator of a random attack on a senior was still at large.

Kelowna RCMP communications officer Cpl. Allisson Konsmo said she would not be available for an interview.

But the spokesperson wrote in an email that, "if we had concerns about public safety, we would inform the public immediately."

As it stands, police have not issued a public statement or warning, instead telling CBC News via email that officers are "in the process of conducting our investigation, which includes trauma-informed statements and a video canvass of the area."

In the meantime, Wright and his family have been putting up their own posters in the area detailing the attack and urging anyone with information to come forward.

"We want to make sure that this can't happen again," he said.