‘All hell broke loose’: Witness recounts violent Beacon Hill Park attack

After three people were injured and two suspects were arrested in a violent attack Friday night, more details are emerging. 

The incident happened just after 10 p.m. on July 3rd near Beacon Hill Park.

According to the VicPD, officers responded to a confrontation involving multiple people.

Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, with two transported to hospital before later being released.

Two suspects, including one youth, were arrested at the scene and remain in custody.

VicPD’s Major Crime Unit is leading the investigation.

Victoria Buzz spoke with a member of the group that was attacked. We have agreed to identify her only by her first name, Abigail, due to safety concerns.

According to Abigail, approximately 25 friends had gathered at the beach around 9 p.m. for what she described as a relaxed evening.

“We were having a get together with a bunch of friends. It was super chill and everybody was having a great time,” she said.

She said they later noticed a separate group of about 10 young men standing on a nearby hill overlooking the beach.

“Nobody on the beach knew them and they just stayed up on the hill watching us,” Abigail said.

Around 11 p.m., her group walked to the Mile Zero gazebo, where she said the other group followed, remaining roughly 20 feet away.

Abigail said she and several friends briefly stepped away from the group when one of the young men allegedly approached them, pulled out a knife and asked if they wanted to go with him.

“We ran back to our friend group to warn people.”

She said the situation escalated moments later when the group approached again.

“The guy who pulled the knife spits on me and starts coming at me. From there all hell broke loose.”

Abigail alleges one of the suspects then produced a machete and began swinging it during the confrontation.

She said one of her friends was seriously injured while trying to protect the group.

“He was just spewing out blood,” she said.

According to Abigail, several members of her group chased two of the suspects toward the Terry Fox memorial, where two of her friends tackled one of them before police arrived.

She said the suspect threw the machete away moments before officers took the two suspects into custody.

Victoria Buzz has reviewed multiple photographs provided by Abigail that appear to show one of the suspects holding what looks to be a machete before the arrests.

Police have not publicly confirmed the type of weapon involved.

Abigail said one woman suffered bruising, cuts and a head injury, while another friend sustained multiple deep lacerations and required surgery after suffering a serious hand injury.

“He has to go for surgery since the cut on his hand was so deep. He can’t move his fingers,” she said.

She said emergency crews arrived within approximately five to 10 minutes of the attack, though she was unsure who placed the 911 call.

“We don’t know exactly who called, but many people in the group had.”

Police have not released a motive or indicated whether the groups knew each other beforehand.

Abigail said nobody in her group recognized any of the suspects or had interacted with them before the confrontation.

VicPD says the investigation remains in its early stages.

Anyone with information who has not yet spoken with investigators is asked to contact the E-Comm non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 ext. 1 and reference file number 26-27379.