Barrie boy stabbed at Sunnidale Park recovering in hospital as police seek suspect

A 14-year-old boy is recovering after what police described as a random and unprovoked stabbing in Sunnidale Park in Barrie earlier this week.

Police say Aadyn Williams was attacked at a dog walking area of the park off Coulter Street around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Aadyn is currently at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, where he underwent surgery.

"We're grateful that things didn't end up much worse because they really could have," said Aadyn's dad, David Reeds.

Aadyn's mom, Shannon Williams, said her son was on his way to meet with friends when a man described as being in his early to mid-30s approached and yelled at him.

The teen ran away but was stabbed in the back.

He is being treated for internal injuries and is on the mend, and with the help of his nurses and physiotherapists, Aadyn is working on breathing exercises.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

The police are asking the public for help in the active and ongoing investigation.

"The identification of the person responsible remains the primary focus," Barrie police stated in an update on the investigation on Thursday.

Police say they are working to determine the sequence of events from that afternoon.

Aadyn's parents are also appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

"We're just asking that anybody that did drive by, that saw anything at all, to reach out to the police because even if you think it is small and insignificant, it may help lead to figuring out what has happened," Williams said.

Following the incident, police searched the area with the help of the K9 unit but were unable to locate a suspect.

The man is described as having short brown hair, brown eyes, a medium build and being five feet six inches tall to five feet nine inches.

"Please, if you were in the area and you saw anything, even if it may not be directly related to, it could still help," Reeds added.

Aadyn's parents also extended their gratitude to the community for its support.

"We also wanted to make sure that we thanked everyone involved, from the woman that stopped her car to assist, the 911 operators," Reeds said.

"And we also wanted to thank the mayor who did pop by and visit us and for his well wishes," Williams noted.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact the authorities at 705-725-7025 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.