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The murder of 41-year-old Mike Nestoruk has "hurt the entire community," according to local politicians.
Nestoruk, a homeless man who only had one leg and was confined to a wheelchair, was found dead on the grounds of Sir Guy Carleton elementary school, at Kingsway and Joyce Streets, Thursday morning.
Police haven't released any details of how he died, but spokesperson Const. Lindsey Houghton classified Vancouver's 13th homicide of the year as a "disturbing and heinous crime" on a defenceless victim.
The incident also touched a nerve in the three elected officials who live within the Vancouver-Kingsway riding.
"Can you imagine a man in a wheelchair without a home being killed at an elementary school?" MLA Adrian Dix questioned. "It has affected everyone in the community and is simply unacceptable to us."
Dix, flanked by MP Don Davies and Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang outside the school yesterday, urged anyone with information to contact police, but also made a call for political change.
"We need to deal with homelessness and we need to deal with this violence," he said. "These are huge issues for society."
Jang wonders whether Nestoruk would still be alive if the Collingwood area had a shelter or housing for its homeless.
"We're at a crisis in this neighbourhood," he said.