Opinion: Violent swarming video involving young girls in Chilliwack evokes notorious Reena Virk murder
Outrage grows online over video depicting four girls viciously beating, kicking, punching defenseless girl
*What follows involves descriptions of a disturbing assault on a girl that could be upsetting to some readers. The video of the incident that is the subject of this story, however, is not shared here - PJH
November 13, 2026
The video is hard to watch, particularly if you are a parent, particularly if you are a parent of a young girl.
If you do watch the video and if you are a parent of a girl, it’s also hard not to watch.
The viral nature of extreme incidents spreading on social media is nothing new, a local example of that is on full display right now over the last 24 hours since a video was shared showing four or five young girls violently attacking a girl in a park in Chilliwack.
The video was shared some time on Thursday, then removed from one group. Then shared again.
People were posting questions asking what happened to the video.
But nothing disappears for long anymore on social media, particularly something as shocking as this.
Thursday night, someone tagged me in one of the posts. Someone else direct-messaged me the video. When I did watch it I did a video screen grab in case it disappeared again.
The video is extremely violent and extremely upsetting. I was outraged and saddened as were a great many people who saw the video.
This hyper-local social media whirlwind of information, misinformation, rumour, innuendo, sympathy, outrage, was fast and furious and somewhat fascinating.
Never mind 24 hours, not even, here’s a timeline.
Thursday
10:35 p.m.
“Dude did you see that video on Chilliwack beware of that poor little girl getting beat by a bunch on teenagers?” a Facebook friend of mine messaged me to say.
“I’m so mad right now. If anyone did that to my child I’d be in jail for the rest of my life.”
This from a guy who is not exaggerating. Trust me. He’s a good guy now but he’s had a history that, well, let’s just say there was a time in his past when messing with him would be a mistake.
10:56 p.m.
I had been tagged and so I watched it. I then shared the video on my Facebook page. It was already shared in a large “beware” style group. I wouldn’t normally share such a video also with an editorializing comment as I did, insulting the attackers and even their parents. But I did.
11:16 p.m.
“Hey Paul the horrible video with the girls, the ring leader is ___ ___ Engel. Her dad is ___ ___. Her grandma is ___ ___ ___.”
That from a Facebook friend who clearly knew what she was talking about, having had some interaction with one of the attackers indirectly earlier in the week.
So I looked up the names.
11:40 p.m.
“Fucking brutal man,” I wrote in a message to the individual identified as the father of the most violent of the violent girls. I shared the video with him, too.
“I hope that isn't your daughter. People are fucking mad.”
Friday
12:21 a.m.
“What happened in Chilliwack tonight was not a ‘schoolyard fight’ or ‘kids being kids,’” a woman I don’t know sent me in a message around midnight. “It was a brutal, co-ordinated, and prolonged assault on a defenseless child by a group of youth.”
Her message was well-thought out and lengthy.
“In British Columbia, we have already seen where this exact type of pack mentality and unchecked youth violence leads. Nearly three decades ago, the swarming and murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Saanich shattered this province and forced us to confront the lethal reality of youth bullying and group assaults.”
She asked me to share her words, but anonymously. I told her that I didn’t like to share anonymous comments and that having her name attached would be more powerful.
This violent incident did evoke in me memories of the infamous swarming murder of Reena Virk on Vancouver Island in 1997, a case so well-known her killers names are likely familiar to anyone who was in B.C. at the time: Kelly Ellard and Warren Glowatski. There were six other females involved but those were the most well-known names, the main culprits both convicted of murder.
Glowatski who was 16 at the time of the killing was released on full parole 15 years ago in June 2010, contrite and apologetic to the Virk family who did not oppose his release.
Ellard was and remains a shit to this day. Most recently she was arrested and brought back into custody for violating conditions of her day parole in June 2025.
Back to the Chilliwack video, at this point, the when and where and who were still questions being speculated on into the early hours of Friday.
I went to bed.
5:58 a.m.
The father of the ring leader perpetrator who I had message responded. What he said shocked me, not in a way I expected.
“Seen it last week,” he wrote, the date of the video becoming more confusing, but has later been confirmed to be some time on Sunday, Nov. 8.
“Oh I know people are mad. I’ve had about five death threats this morning. Thing is, I’ve tried to discipline her, I almost got thrown in jail for it.”
Damn. This poor guy may not be the greatest of fathers, I don’t know, but I’m realizing that it sounds like he might be as much a victim of his own out-of-control 12-year-old daughter.
“I’ve told the police to throw her in jail, not just this incident but every violent incident that she has been apart of over the last year,” he continued.
“The system has failed all those children in that video. From the poor girl getting hurt to the violent thugs, including my daughter. Sadly that’s not the first incident, and if there are no consequences, it’s ignorant to think it’s the last.
“You’re a reporter are you not? Maybe it’s time to shed some light on the broken system here in Chilliwack.”
Double damn. I had sent this man a pissy message the night before with a passive-aggressive accusation that he’s to blame for his daughter. And he sends me this piercingly thoughtful response.
“Damn. Ya. Sorry you’re going through that,” I replied. “Where does your daughter live?”
He said she is supposed to be living with him full-time but she rarely is.
“I can’t force her to stay, according to the ministry, so she runs around being a wannabe hoodrat.”
He told me she’s 12 years old. I asked about school. He said she is suppose to go to an alternative school but won’t go, or at least won’t stay.
“It’s a broken system Paul.”
Strangers on Facebook are outraged. Seeing the video got me riled up, looking for someone to blame.
But who is to blame?
8:47 a.m.
A friend messages me.
“What’s all this talk about these bullies?” she asked. “Do you know what school they go to? My daughter’s in __school and son’s at __school.
“It’s concerning what I’m reading but I have not seen any videos posted.”
At this point I figured it was too late for me, but she didn’t need to be tainted by the video.
“If you haven’t seen the videos I recommend not watching. It is very upsetting.”
I told her about the content of the video.
“I can’t imagine being the parents of the child who was beat, gut wrenching.”
8:49 a.m.
Another friend messages me.
“I rarely get upset anymore by things online. But I was actually physically sick by the video of the girl getting beaten. Do we know if she is OK? Does she have a safe home? I have a spare bedroom.”
I told her I didn’t know the mother.
“If the mom needs anything, let me know. I'm empty nest now.”
8:58 a.m.
Final message from the father of the ring leader before I tell him I’ll ask the police to comment.
“There is a police file for that incident and I’m pushing to get my daughter locked up.”
9:10 a.m.
I send a message to the woman who originally shared the video, presumably the mother of the victim. She said as much and her Facebook cover photo is of her and four children, one of whom does look like the victim.
“Is your daughter OK? I understand there is a police file. I confronted the father of one of the girl attackers and he says he can't control his daughter, he's trying to get her put in jail.”
9:31 a.m.
I email Cpl. Carmen Kiener, media spokesperson for the Chilliwack RCMP.
“I am wondering what you can tell me about this swarming incident shared in a video around social media yesterday,” I wrote in part.
“Are you aware of this and is there a police file open?
“Have you seen this video?
“Do you know when and where it occurred?
“Have the girls been apprehended?
“Anything you can tell me is appreciated. I'm hearing from people who are really, really mad about this.”
10:34 a.m.
I don’t hear back directly from Cpl. Kiener who is probably receiving quite a few requests to comment and/or for information. But at this time she issues a media release.
“The Chilliwack RCMP is actively investigating an incident involving the alleged assault of a female youth after a video depicting the incident began circulating on social media,” the release began, adding that the Chilliwack RCMP received a report about the incident on Nov. 8 but limited information was available at the time until the morning of Nov. 13 (today) when they became aware of the social media outrage circulating.
“Police are actively investigating the matter and taking these allegations seriously. Investigators are working with the Chilliwack School District as part of the ongoing investigation. The safety and well-being of students and youth remain of the utmost importance.”
Cpl. Kiener then must have received a somewhat urgent response from someone at School District 33 wishing to distance Chilliwack schools from this incident, because 31 minutes after that release was sent out, Cpl. Kiener sent a paragraph to insert to replace the above paragraph.
“Police are actively investigating the matter and taking these allegations seriously,” it started identically. “Investigators are working closely with the Chilliwack School District [still the same] to support student safety and address community concerns; however, there is no indication that the incident occurred as part of a school activity or during the school time hours.”
This later italicized part is the change.
"This video is disturbing and has understandably raised concerns within our community," Cpl. Kiener is quoted in the release. "We need anyone with first-hand information, who was present during the incident, or who can help identify those involved to contact police.”
The release went on to say that police are aware that names and allegations are being shared on social media and while investigators are reviewing available information, “social media posts and comments cannot be relied upon as evidence.”
The police are asking for witness statements and information to be passed directly to them.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 and reference file #2026-50066.
This is a very disturbing video that was shared. It is shows a horrific act of violent swarming by young girls on a young girl. Kids make terrible mistakes. All of us adults need to be the adults and try to deal with this to minimize the harm and hopefully in such a way that can be a lesson moving forward.
Never mind a 24-hour whirlwind, it’s 12:30 p.m. on Friday now. All that above is from the last 14 hours.
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Paul J. Henderson
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