Police are concerned that the fatal stabbing of a white supremacist in southern B.C. could fuel simmering tensions between gangs in the area.
Jan Korinth, a member of the neo-Nazi group Blood and Honour, was stabbed to death last weekend during a fight in a Surrey home.
Rumours have abounded about the 26-year-old's death, with many speculating that Korinth was targeted for his involvement in the white supremacist group.
Homicide investigators, however, rebuff those reports and say that Korinth was the person who instigated the fight.
"It appears at this time that Jan was attempting to get into that residence. It was not Jan's home, he did not live there," said Sgt. Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
A 36-year-old man suffered head injuries during the brawl, but he was transported to hospital and is expected to survive.
While the incident is still under investigation, police are concerned that any misinformation about Korinth's death could spark gang violence in Surrey.
"Whenever we're dealing with information that could potentially cause gang retaliation, then that needs to be our number one concern," Pound said Saturday. "In this case that is now our concern."
The warning came on the same day members of Blood and Honour clashed with anti-racism activists in downtown Edmonton. Members of the neo-Nazi group reportedly fled minutes after the rally began when more than a hundred counter-protesters showed up to confront them.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
