CALGARY 鈥� Funeral services are set today for three of the five young people who were stabbed to death at a Calgary house party.
Jordan Segura, Zackariah Rathwell, Josh Hunter, Lawrence Hong and Kaiti Perras were all at the party marking the end of classes at the nearby University of Calgary early last Tuesday morning.
They were attacked and stabbed to death by another party goer. Police were still trying to determine a motive for the bizarre attack.
Segura, Hunter and Perras will be remembered in separate services.
Segura, 22, was a religious studies student at the University of Calgary and had worked for the past year at McInnis and Holloway, the funeral home which will be conducting the service.
鈥淗e was very popular with staff. He kept in touch with staff and he was just a likeable individual,鈥� said owner Ernie Hagel, who knew Segura well.
鈥淲e deal with grief. We help people through grief. We鈥檝e got to do what we believe in and provide the funeral service and have a service that has meaning and value so the family can get on with their grief recovery process,鈥� he added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 devastating. We don鈥檛 understand how things happen and it鈥檚 such a waste. It just shows how fragile life really is.鈥�
Kaiti Perras, 23, had attended Mount Royal University and loved to dance. Her family is encouraging those attending to don 鈥渃olourful attire.鈥� It has set up a dance scholarship in her name. Perras took dance for several years at Counterpoint Dance Academy.
鈥淲e watched Kaiti grow into an exceptional human being. Her smile and energy lit up the stage ... Our hearts break for her family. She was a joy to teach and a beautiful person. She will be deeply missed,鈥� dance teacher Shannon Hearn said last week.
Josh Hunter, 22, was a commerce student at the University of Calgary鈥檚 Haskayne School of Business and a member of a band called Zackariah and the Prophets along with Zackariah Rathwell.
鈥淭here are no words to describe the absolute devastation and heartbreak we feel over the tragic and senseless loss of our beloved Josh,鈥� said the family in his obituary.
鈥淛osh approached life with joy, gratitude and a positive outlook and anyone who met him was touched by his smile. We will forever miss that smile.鈥�
A funeral for Rathwell is scheduled for Tuesday. His family issued a statement about his loss Sunday afternoon.
鈥淗e was an amazing kid who grew into an amazing man. We didn鈥檛 have him for very long, but we are so very grateful for the time that we did have him. We are all going to miss him so much,鈥� read the statement.
鈥淲e know that he touched the lives of so many through his kindness, his laughter and his music.鈥�
A small memorial was held for Hong at his old high school on Sunday. His funeral is planned for Wednesday.
Matthew de Grood, 22, has been charged with five counts of first degree murder.
He had completed a psychology degree from the University of Calgary last year and had been accepted into law school for the fall.
The suspect is due to appear in court Tuesday to face the allegations.
Grief counsellors have been available in the community and at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University.
Merle Doherty, is an Edmonton police officer who volunteers as a community chaplin with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He and a colleague have been invited to assist the chaplins who are being 鈥渙verwhelmed鈥� by demand.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mostly that we listen to people. As chaplins we just listen to people and hear where they鈥檙e at,鈥� said Doherty.
鈥淭his is a tough, tough thing to handle and everyone鈥檚 wondering the whys and I don鈥檛 know if there are any whys at this time. It鈥檚 a tough one.鈥�
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