"Ethan was a young, bright loved boy," his aunt said, "and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus."
Bespflug was the second person to be stabbed while on the 503 bus in Surrey this month, however police made it clear that the two incidents were not related. The first victim, who was attacked by a man claiming to be affiliated with ISIS, survived.
Bespflug's aunt, Andrea Van Der Gracht, told Global News that just minutes before being stabbed, he texted his mother saying, "there’s some kids threatening me and I’m scared."
Investigators revealed that the teen was attacked following an "altercation" between two other people on the bus, but did not go into further detail. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has since taken over, but no arrests have been made. Authorities deemed the attack to be an "isolated incident," and said it did not appear to be gang-related, as so many in Surrey are.
Premier David Eby called the incident "every parent's worst nightmare," describing the situation as "profoundly concerning."
"Transit needs to be safe and accessible for kids, for seniors, for everybody," he said, noting that Surrey RCMP and Transit Police had increased presence in the area.
Bespflug was described by Van Der Gracht as a "good kid" who was "senselessly murdered when he was supposed to be safe."
"He worked. He went to school. He got good grades. He wasn’t in trouble. He wasn’t a bad kid. The fact that he ended up in this situation is horrible," she lamented.
The family set up a GoFundMe, which has since raised nearly $10,000.
"Please donate to help lay Ethan to rest," Van Der Gracht wrote. "Ethan was a young, bright loved boy, unarmed and now his mother will forever be waiting for him to get off that bus."
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