1 dead, 2 arrested after Downtown Eastside stabbing, Vancouver police say

Pedestrians cross East Hastings Street in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Vancouver police say a man is dead and two people have been arrested after a stabbing in the Downtown Eastside Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of East Hastings and Columbia streets, the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.

Witnesses called 911 and the victim was taken to hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries, according to police.

“The victim has been identified as 49-year-old James Andrew Slater,” the VPD said. “A man and a woman have been arrested, but no charges have been laid at this time.”

Police asked anyone with information to call the VPD Major Crime Section at 604-717-2500.

The killing is Vancouver’s fourth homicide of 2026, according to police.