Luka Gordic, 19, killed during violent Whistler May long weekend - Action News
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Luka Gordic, 19, killed during violent Whistler May long weekend

One man is dead, and another is in hospital after two unrelated and separate stabbings less than 24 hours apart in Whistler over the May long weekend.

Residents say gangs of rowdy partyers up from Lower Mainland, a growing problem

Teen killed during violent Whistler weekend

9 years ago
Duration 2:21
1 man is dead, and another is in hospital after two unrelated and separate stabbings

One man is dead, and another is in hospital after two unrelated andseparate stabbingsless than 24 hours apart in Whistler over the May long weekend.

Family members have identified one of the victims as19-year-old Luka Gordic from Burnaby, B.C.He was in Whistler with friends and cousins celebrating the holiday.

Condolences were pouring in Mondayfor Gordicon social media.

Police say the young manwas stabbed multiple times shortly after midnight Sunday morning while walking from a nightclub to a hotelin Whistler Village. RCMP said hewas taken to a local clinic, but died of his injuries.

Witness BornaKazemniasaid he sawgroups of men in their 30s that night walking around the village picking on younger men.

"They're just walking around trying to fight...start things withyounger people. And most of these younger people are my friends from high school and they come up to me and say...hey...this guy's trying to jack me. This guy's trying to take my stuff and I'm thinking, 'Why are you trying to pick on these 18-years-oldwhen you're 30-years-old?'"

Less than 24 hours after Gordic was fatally stabbedanother teen, also 19and from the Lower Mainland, was stabbed just outside the village. He was sent toVancouver for treatment, police said.

Long weekend rowdyism a growingproblem

Whistler resident Alexa McLaughlin says the May long weekend has been getting so bad, some residentsactually leave town and many of those that staydon't go out after midnight.

Borna Kaemnia says he saw groups of older men in their 30s roaming through Whistler Sunday night trying to pick fights with teenagers. (CBC)

She says groups of people coming up from the Lower Mainland, movingthrough the village ingangs seem to becausing most of the trouble.

"There's been shootings and there's been stabbings and brawls in clubs. Bad things have been happening. And, there seems to be more and more of it," she said.

Whistler RCMP said they brought in extra police from Vancouver and Squamish in anticipation of May long weekend trouble.As a result, police said they were able to makeseveral arrests "within minutes" of Gordic'sstabbing.

Last year, there were four violent incidents including one involving a 19-year-old Surrey youth who was slashed in the face.

Despite Whistler's growing reputation for long weekend rowdyism, Sgt Rob Knapton said this level of violence is not typical.

"These calls are very unusual. I mean, this is the first death that we've seen like this in a quite a long time," he said.

Sea to Sky security officer Tim Houlihan says it was a busy weekend for him.

"Just a lot of rowdy partyers that we had to go evict and we take the assistance of the RCMP and we have to evict them from the hotel rooms because they damage, trash them."

The BC Coroners Service and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team are now investigating.

With files from Belle Puri