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WINNIPEG — Police are searching for a male suspect in the fatal stabbing of a teenage girl in Winnipeg near a busy corner of the city's downtown. 

Police identified the victim as an Indigenous 14-year-old girl who was living in the city.

The teen was with a group when she was attacked and stabbed Friday afternoon outside a building a block away from police headquarters, said police. 

"One of the young people she was with suddenly turned on her and stabbed her," police Chief Danny Smyth said Monday during a news conference. 

"It was a pretty sudden turn of events … I don't know the context of why it turned that way."

Smyth would not release the girl's name, citing provisions to the Youth Criminal Justice Act that prevent police from identifying victims of violence who are under the age of 18. 

He added it is possible the attacker and other witnesses in the group could be youths as well. 

Officers who responded to the stabbing found the teen in the entrance of a building and applied a chest seal while they waited for an ambulance to arrive, Smyth said. 

"She was never left alone. Our officers stayed with her," he said. "One of our officers stayed with her in the ambulance while she was rushed to hospital. He was present when the medical staff treated her in a nearby operating room."

She underwent emergency surgery, but didn't survive. 

Police said three people at the scene fled on foot before officers arrived. Investigators are also looking to speak with the two female witnesses who police believe were part of the group at the time of the attack.

There have been increased calls for the city and police to address safety concerns downtown after several and robberies have occurred in the same area this past year. 

Smyth said the police service has increased its downtown presence and relies on community partnerships to curb thefts and engage with individuals living with addictions and the homeless. 

"Although we weren't able to prevent this particular case, our members were right there to provide assistance and render first aid within moments of the attack. So, our presence is out there," he said.

The teen's death is the 40th homicide of the year in Winnipeg. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2023. 

The Canadian Press