‘Her loss is immeasurable’: 31-year-old Burnaby RCMP officer identified as fatal stabbing victim

“A kind and compassionate person.”

Those were the words used by officers to describe 31-year-old Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang, who was fatally stabbed while attending to an incident at a local park on Tuesday morning.

Yang was part of the Burnaby RCMP’s mental health and homeless outreach team. According to officials, she was partnered with a City of Burnaby Parks employee and they were attending to an individual camping in a tent at Broadview Park, located near Canada Way and Gilmore Avenue just after 11am.

An altercation occurred and Yang was fatally stabbed by the individual. Yang was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

The suspect was shot and injured and is in hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police said the city staff member who accompanied Yang is doing physically fine.

BCEHS told the Beacon that it received a call about the incident around 11:17am and deployed eight ground ambulances to the scene.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference Burnaby RCMP Chief Supt. De La Gorgendiere noted the incident was a “dynamic situation” and “it all unfolded very quickly.”

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is investigating the death, and the BC Independent Investigations Office (BCIIO) is conducting its own investigation into the shooting of the suspect.

“As the Commanding Officer of the BC RCMP, I can tell you that an on-duty death is the most difficult and heart-wrenching incident we deal with as an organization,” stated BC RCMP deputy commissioner Dwayne McDonald.

During Tuesday’s press conference, police were not able to release many details about the investigation, but they did clarify some points.

Some early media reports of the incident stated the stabbing occurred in a homeless encampment at the park.

However, when asked to confirm this, De La Gorgendiere noted that although he personally did not have a chance to visit the park, “the way it’s been described to me … it [was not] described to me as an encampment at all. That’s not an accurate description.”

According to reporting from the CBC and the Globe and Mail, there is believed to have been a single tent at the park.

A resident, who lives near where the incident occurred, but asked to not be identified, told the Beacon they have seen one tent at the park over the past two months.

They noted that they generally feel safe in the neighbourhood, which they described as quiet.

“There usually isn’t much that happens here. This is the one odd thing,” they said.

De La Gorgendiere also addressed why Yang wasn’t accompanied by another officer when she was attending the scene.

“Officers conduct duties all the time. Sometimes with partners, sometimes on their own. We’d look at risk assessments for the types of duties they were doing and unfortunately at this time, she was on her own. So it’s not abnormal, but there is an ongoing risk assessment that would have to take place,” he said.

De La Gorgendiere was unable to answer questions about charges the suspect could face.

“That will be up to IHIT to advance that investigation. I’m not aware of the circumstances of where that is right now.”

Mayor Mike Hurley also spoke at the press conference, offering his condolences and support to all those impacted by Tuesday’s events.

“The worst thing that could happen is when a [first responder] shows up for duty in the morning and doesn’t go home in the evening,” said Hurley.

“And it’s going to take all of us, RCMP, all the members to recover from that. But we are going to be here and walk shoulder to shoulder with them during this period.”

In an earlier interview with the Beacon, Hurley asked the public to “be respectful about the RCMP officer and to those who were on scene … until we find out all the information before jumping to conclusions.”

The death of Yang quickly prompted an outpouring of condolences across the nation.

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General for British Columbia, Mike Farnorth, tweeted that Tuesday’s event was “the worst news any one wants to happen.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated he was “incredibly sad” to hear of Yang’s death. “My thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues of the fallen officer – I am keeping you in my thoughts during this terrible time,” he said.

Yang was a resident of Richmond and was described as an active volunteer. She served with the Burnaby RCMP since 2019.

“The loss of Shaelyn will be felt by so many. Her death impacts her family, friends, the wider RCMP family, and the vulnerable community she so passionately served. Her loss is immeasurable,” noted McDonald.

Tuesday evening, Burnaby RCMP tweeted a photo of Yang with the caption: “Loving wife, sister, daughter, friend… Our hero.”