Man cleared of murder in Vancouver stabbing death of father outside Starbucks

A man who stabbed a father of three to death outside a Vancouver Starbucks was cleared of murder charges and convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday, after his lawyers argued mental illness played a role in the attack. Inderdeep Singh Gosal, 34, stabbed Paul Schmidt, 37, six times in a 28-second attack in March 2023, after Schmidt confronted him for smoking marijuana near his 3-year-old daughter. The judge cited CCTV footage suggesting Schmidt was the primary aggressor and could not definitively rule out that Gosal's schizophrenia and alcohol consumption affected his intent. Gosal had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication months before the attack and claimed he found the knife as a "sign from God." Prosecutors noted discrepancies in his account, including that he had purchased the blade. A sentencing date has not yet been set.