Christians Under Attack

Hans Plania, 67, witnessed the assault near Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave. and tried to apprehend the assailant. He said he couldn't understand why others, including several motorists, didn't help.

"When someone is in trouble, it's what you do," he said.

"I saw that the guy was stabbing the other guy and I shouted to the people, `Get out of the car. Get the guy!'" a shaken Plania recalled.

Plania said the attack, with what police described as a 15-centimetre hunting knife, was swift and brutal.

"He wasn't moving at all and he was stabbed at least 10 to 15 times," he said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was seen arguing with another man outside a building on Wallace Ave. at about 4:30 p.m.

Plania walked past the pair as they shouted at each other and heard one man yell, "You owe me."

As Plania got to the front of his house a few doors away, he turned around to see the pair exchanging punches, in full view of three or four people sitting in cars that had pulled over during the fight.

As Plania shouted for help, he ran toward the scene. The attacker, who had blood splotches on his clothing, fled.

"I tried to get after him, but with my knee I just couldn't keep up," said the retired woodworker.

Paramedics and police arrived quickly, rushing the victim to St. Michael's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The death was listed as Toronto's 14th homicide of the year.

Shahin Pirouzi, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder. He is scheduled to appear in court today

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