‘Horribly wrong’: Father stabbed to death at Starbucks while trying to protect young daughter

A young father was brutally stabbed to death in front of his young daughter after reportedly making a simple request of a fellow customer.

A man has been charged with murder after a father was stabbed to death outside a Starbucks store in Vancouver, Canada when he allegedly asked the suspect to stop vaping in front of his young daughter.

Paul Stanley Schmidt, 37, died at the scene on Sunday evening despite frantic efforts from bystanders, including police officers, to save his life.

His fiancee, Ashley Umali, was inside the store ordering drinks when the altercation started, while Mr Schmidt was watching his three-year-old child outside.

However, she returned in time for the alleged killer to say to her: “You better grab your kid.”

Tragically, she then witnessed the stabbing and watched her long-term partner die in front of her.

Vancouver Police Department has since confirmed Inderdeep Singh Gosal, 32, has been charged with second-degree murder, with police calling for witnesses to come forward.

The frenzied attack occurred outside a Vancouver Starbucks in front of horrified witnesses. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

“We believe this homicide was witnessed by dozens of bystanders, and there may be people with information who have not yet come forward,” Sergeant Steve Addison said.

“We particularly want to hear from anyone who was present in the moments before the stabbing, or anyone who has cell phone video of the incident.”

A police constable who happened to be patrolling in the area at the time was flagged down just moments after the stabbing, and arrested the suspect at the crime scene.

Investigators do not believe the victim and suspect knew each other, however the circumstances that led up to the fatal stabbing remain under investigation.

Speaking to CBC, Mr Schmidt’s mother Kathy expressed her heartbreak over her son’s “senseless” death.

“Just one word. Senseless,” the grieving mum said.

“Senseless that an altercation ended up in a murder. Ended up with my son losing his life.”

Ms Schmidt said her son’s fiancee was “absolutely, of course, devastated” adding that her son had “lived for” his young family.

“He was a great dad,” she said.

Ms Schmidt also told the Vancouver Sun that the killing was “so horribly wrong”.

“He was just trying to protect his daughter,” she said.

“I’m angry and I’m sad.”

She added that she hoped the charge would be increased to first-degree murder, which carries a longer prison sentence.

“He had a knife,” she claimed to the publication.

“I don’t carry a knife into a coffee shop, do you?”

Paul Stanley Schmidt’s family watched the killing unfold. Picture: GoFundMe

A GoFundMe set up by the non-profit Dr Sun Yat-sen Garden Society charity has already raised more than $CA150,000 ($A165,000).

“This tragedy has impacted and sent shockwaves of grief and heartache across the community and it is emotionally gut-wrenching to fathom what his family had to witness in horror,” the GoFundMe reads.

“Please support and help spread this GoFundMe for Paul’s family.”

In an update, an organiser posted that the family was “extremely grateful and touched” by the “outpouring of love and support”, and that most of the cash would be placed in trust for the couple’s daughter.

The organiser also pleaded with the public not to share horrific video footage of the deadly attack, which has been circulating on social media, out of respect to the family.