Stabbing puts Edmonton teen in the hospital

EDMONTON — A young man was taken to hospital after a stabbing north of downtown Edmonton Friday evening.

The 19-year-old was attacked seemingly at random by a group of teenagers in the area of 118th Avenue and 86th Street at around 6:45 p.m., Margaret Dechambre, the victim’s grandmother, said.

Dechambre said her grandson, Nicholas Dechambre, and his uncle had been picking up beer from a liquor store to drink in the backyard on a nice evening. As they walked home through a back alley, three youths approached them and stabbed Nicholas in the chest. Dechambre said her grandson didn’t see the attack coming, and was stabbed near his heart.

She said the attackers appeared to be drunk and were carrying a big bottle of beer at the time.

Police have suspects in custody and the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, said Staff Sgt. Graham Hogg with the Edmonton Police Service.

Dechambre said the nearby 118th Avenue causes a lot of problems in the area. The other night someone smashed in the window of a red Grand Am parked across the street from her home, and she said it can be dangerous after dark.

“This ain’t a quiet neighbourhood,” she said. “There’s fights all over.”