2014 Calgary stabbing

2014 Calgary stabbing
Location within Calgary
Location 11 Butler Crescent NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates 51°5′25.4″N 114°7′35.4″W / 51.090389°N 114.126500°W / 51.090389; -114.126500Coordinates: 51°5′25.4″N 114°7′35.4″W / 51.090389°N 114.126500°W / 51.090389; -114.126500
Date April 15, 2014 (2014-04-15)
1:20 a.m. MDT (UTC-06:00)
Attack type
 Stabbing
Weapons Large knife
Deaths 5
Suspected perpetrator
 Matthew De Grood

On April 15, 2014, five young adults were stabbed to death at a house party in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The stabbing attack occurred several blocks away from the University of Calgary campus, and the party was held to mark the end of their school year. It was the deadliest act of mass murder to have ever occurred in the history of Calgary.[1] Police arrested Matthew De Grood in connection with the massacre.[2]

Details

The attack occurred at 1:20 a.m. at a house at 11 Butler Crescent,[3] where about thirty people were present at the party. The assailant, an invited guest, committed the attacks shortly after arriving at the party. He obtained a large knife at the house and stabbed the victims methodically. Each victim was stabbed multiple times. The suspected attacker fled on foot but was arrested by police 40 minutes later with the aid of the K-9 unit.[4]

Victims

The victims were Joshua Hunter, Kaitlin Perras, Jordan Segura, Lawrence Hong and Zackariah Rathwell, who ranged from 21 to 27 years of age. Hunter lived in Priddis, Alberta, while the other four lived in Calgary. Hong, Segura and Rathwell were pronounced dead at the scene, while Perras and Hunter were taken to hospital but succumbed to their wounds.[1][2][5][6]

Suspect

Matthew De Grood, aged 22, was identified as the suspect. He attended the University of Calgary and was planning on attending law school. Prior to the stabbings, he was an employee of Safeway.[3] He is the son of a city police officer with the rank of Inspector.[2][4][5] De Grood was being held at a secure psychiatric facility adjacent to the Calgary Remand Centre. According to authorities, he personally knew at least one person that was present during the party.[7] According to De Grood's parents and classmates, his behaviour had started to change in the weeks before the murders; he began posting more frequently on Facebook, submitting "bizarre" status updates.[3] Prior to the stabbing, he sent text messages to his parents, claiming he was going to harm himself.[8]

He has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder and was ordered to stand trial on May 29, 2015.[9] He had no previous run-ins with the police.[2][4][5] On May 22, De Grood was found mentally fit to stand trial after undergoing a psychiatric assessment.[10] On May 29, 2015, his trial was set to begin on May 16, 2016, with jury selection set to begin four days earlier.[11]

University response

Although the stabbings occurred off-campus, the close relationship between the parties involved and the University of Calgary solicited a direct response from the school's community. University president M. Elizabeth Cannon described the event as a "senseless tragedy" in which the community "lost a part of its family."[12]

On April 15, 2015, the university held the UCalgaryStrong Festival, meant both to celebrate the end of the school year and to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the stabbing.[13] The festival was part of the broader UCalgaryStrong initiative, which aims to "reduce loneliness and isolation, and foster resiliency in the face of the stressors that are part of the post-secondary experience."[14] Victim Lawrence Hong was also granted a posthumous degree in 2015, and memorial scholarships have been established for him and two other victims, Joshua Hunter, and Jordan Segura, in their respective disciplines.[15][16]

See Also

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Alexander (April 15, 2014). "Five Stabbed to Death at College House Party in Calgary". NBC News.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Matthew De Grood charged in Calgary's worst mass murder". CBC News. April 15, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Ferguson, Eva (April 19, 2014). "Before Calgary’s stabbing nightmare came a laid back day of celebrations and summer plans". National Post.
  4. 1 2 3 Conlon, Kevin (April 16, 2014). "5 University of Calgary students fatally stabbed in city's 'worst mass murder'". CNN.
  5. 1 2 3 "Matthew De Grood ID'd As Suspect In Calgary Stabbing". Huffington Post. April 15, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Calgary stabbing victims identified". CBC News. April 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Calgary stabbing suspect Matthew De Grood's texts being investigated". CBC News. April 17, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Matthew de Grood’s texts sent his father out into the night to find his son...too late to stop Calgary stabbings". National Post. April 18, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Matthew de Grood, charged in Calgary's worst mass murder, will stand trial". CTV News. March 6, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  10. ↑ Smith, Morgan (May 22, 2014). "Man accused in Calgary mass-stabbing fit to stand trial". 630 CHED.
  11. ↑ Martin, Kevin (May 29, 2015). "Matthew de Grood trial for Brentwood murders set for 2016". Calgary Sun. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Calgary Stabbings: Reaction Pours in after 'senseless tragedy'". CBC News. April 15, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  13. ↑ Thatcher, Wendy (April 16, 2015). "New and old traditions mark end of school year: First UCalgaryStrong Festival shines light on strength and resiliency". University of Calgary. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  14. ↑ "UCalgaryStrong Festival 2015". University of Calgary. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Remembering the Brentwood tragedy". University of Calgary. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Lawrence Hong, Brett Wiese to be granted posthumous degrees". University of Calgary. June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
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