Dario Bartoli homicide: Counsellors brought in as friends grieve

Friends are in disbelief and a community is in shock as the impact of 15-year-old Dario Bartoli's death Saturday in South Surrey begins to sink in.

The Integrated Homicide Team called for witnesses to come forward, and Earl Marriott Secondary School, where Bartoli was a student, has brought in grief counsellors.

A number of youth took to Twitter following news of Bartoli's death, including some who had been with him the night he was killed.

"Wishing we stayed with you for a couple extra hours last night and drove you home," said one tweet.

Lila Barton said her brother knew Bartoli better than she did, but she felt compelled to bring flowers to the park.

He was just a kid like me," she said. "Nobody deserves what happened to him let alone a 15-year-old boy.

"It’s pretty close to home. My brother was the same age he was and he’ll be that way forever and it’s not fair. It’s my Christmas present to him. He doesn’t get a Christmas."

​Neighbour Irene Kraschkowski said to lose someone so young so quickly has had a devastating effect on the community's sense of safety.

"You think your children are safe and especially in this park." she said. "We come here all the time, and I've never seen any violence of any kind. I left a cup here one time. And it was left there a week and nobody took it, you know? That's the kind of people in this area, you feel safe. 

Group of youths had been drinking

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said early indications are that Bartoli and a friend, 14, were involved around 2:43 a.m. PT Saturday in an "alcohol fuelled confrontation between two groups that turned tragic." 

​ IHIT spokeswoman Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound said they have spoken with a number of friends and witnesses, but need to talk to more people to get a better picture of what happened.

“There is much rumour and speculation as to what occurred the evening Dario was killed, and for that reason we ask individuals who have information to come to police before turning to social media," she said.

"We know the scene was dynamic and the incident happened quickly. We have yet to confirm if or what weapons were involved or the size of the suspect group. To classify this as a “swarming” is premature." 

After the fight , police were called to a home in the 15600 block of 18 Avenue, where the two teenage boys had fled.

​Bartoli was rushed to nearby Peace Arch Hospital with critical injuries, but he succumbed to those injuries at 10:20 a.m. PT. Saturday, Pound said. Originally police said the 14-year-old boy, who was with Bartoli, suffered minor injuries in the attack, but at a news conference Mondaty afternoon, Pound said the boy was not injured.

Map: 15600 block 18 Avenue, Surrey, B.C.