friends say yaletown stabbing suspect was kind, caring before life unravelled
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vancouver police were seeking this person of interest captured on video cameras in the area where several people were randomly stabbed in yaletown on oct. 10. credit: vpd
vancouver police
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city of vancouver
update (oct. 31): an additional five charges have been approved against a woman who allegedly stabbed four people, attacked another, and verbally abused two others in yaletown in early october.
tamara hamelin, 35, was arrested just three days after the oct. 10 series of attacks near vancouver’s david lam park. she was charged with one count of assault.
on friday, police announced hamelin now faced an additional four counts of assault with a weapon and one additional count of assault.
she remains in custody while awaiting her next court appearance.
previous: friends of a woman accused of randomly stabbing multiple people in vancouver’s yaletown neighbourhood last week say they are shocked and trying to make sense of what happened.
vancouver police say tamara jean hamelin, 35, was arrested on monday in the downtown eastside, three days after the attacks near david lam park around 7:30 a.m. on oct. 10. she is charged with one count of assault, b.c. prosecution service confirmed.
in total, four people were stabbed, one was physically assaulted, and two others were verbally abused in what police are calling a series of unprovoked attacks along the seawall. the victims include five men and two women, ranging in age from 23 to 59.
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police say more charges are expected as the investigation continues.
friends of hamelin say the allegations don’t match the person they once knew, and many are struggling to understand what led up to the attacks.
“she was never a violent type of person,” said friend amory pasap. “she is a kind and caring person who would help her friends when they are in need.”
but roy mckay, who has known hamelin for 15 years, said things changed in the woman’s life after she moved from surrey to the downtown eastside in 2019.
“everything went downhill,” mckay said, adding that hamelin started spending time with people involved in illicit drug use. “i believe the environment changed her.”
shane lightbown, a former coworker of hamelin’s at groundwork construction cleaning, said that in recent months he had grown concerned about hamelin.
“her posts on facebook for a while were about being harassed,” said lightbown. “i know she’s been through a lot, and it takes a lot for her to get upset.”
in one facebook post from april 19, hamelin wrote, “i can’t breathe here. i’m too high and no one will help me.”
in another post shared about four months earlier in a downtown eastside community facebook group, she appeared to express paranoia and fear of being targeted. “beware the stalkers here, beware the forced drug high they do to drive you crazy. i’m being targeted by them. if i disappear, just know what i say is all true. i see them, i know their game, their plan!!!”
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maria catrina, a retired psychiatric nurse and co-founder of vancouver orphan kitten rescue, said she first met hamelin a few years ago after learning she needed a fan and food for her cat while living in a single-room occupancy hotel in the downtown eastside.
catrina said she has gotten to know hamelin since, and believes the attack may be linked to an untreated mental health condition.
“i feel that this attack was some sort of mental episode based on what she was posting on facebook,” said catrina. “she is not a violent monster. she is a gentle, sweet girl who has had a very traumatic life.”
last week’s attack comes as vancouver continues to grapple with concerns over random stranger violence. according to the vancouver police department, stranger attacks peaked between late 2020 and 2021, averaging about 4.2 per day. since then, the rate has declined to just 1.2 per day in the first half of 2025.
police credit this crime drop to increased public awareness and targeted enforcement from the force.
b.c. prosecution service confirmed hamelin has been charged with one count of assault and that prosecutors were granted an investigative remand under the criminal code, allowing more time for police to provide further evidence.
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hamelin is scheduled to return to provincial court on oct. 17.
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