A nearly deserted main street of Banff, Alta., on April 13, 2020.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Banff, Alta., hadn’t had a single homicide in 24 years. Now, police are investigating two killings, four weeks apart.
The scene of the crime for both homicides is Banff Avenue, one of the main strips in the Rocky Mountain town.
Alberta RCMP say John Proule, 20, of Lake Country, B.C., has been charged with second-degree murder after a stabbing left one man dead early Saturday morning.
Police say they were called to the Dancing Sasquatch at 12:09 a.m. MT to find that a 27-year-old man from Foothills County, Alta., had been stabbed. He was transported to hospital, where police say he died from his injuries.
They added that a second suspect was released from police custody without charges, as it was determined he was not directly involved.
Before being arrested a few blocks away from the club, Mr. Proule injured himself trying to break into a home to hide from police.
Natalie Zammit, 24, said she was woken up by her dog, a golden retriever named Oakley, who wouldn’t stop barking at someone outside her home, which is a seven-minute walk from the Dancing Sasquatch.
“I found our door shaking, like someone was trying to get in,” she said. When she told him to leave, Ms. Zammit said he started ramming his body against the door to break it open. When police arrived at her home, Ms. Zammit said, she finally went outside.
Photos show a large blood splatter dripping down the door at her house, and the door handle coated in blood. “You could see smears on the glass from where he was hitting it with his hands and shoulder,” she said.
Later, Ms. Zammit said she learned that when the man couldn’t break into her apartment, he ran up the stairs to try and get into her neighbours’ homes. When that didn’t work, he climbed up onto a roof and fell.
A similar incident unfolded at the nightclub during the early hours of Aug. 5.
At 2:26 a.m. MT, officers in Banff’s RCMP detachment were called to the nightclub over an altercation. When they arrived, they found a man, who has now been identified as Banff resident 26-year-old Ethan Enns-Goneau, had been stabbed. Like the other victim, Mr. Enns-Goneau was transported to hospital and died shortly after.
Officers arrested 22-year-old John-Christopher Arrizza, also from Banff, outside the club, and have charged him with second-degree murder.
RCMP say they believe both homicides were isolated incidents, adding there is “no further concern for the safety and security of the general public,” although police have acknowledged concerns from the public, due to the sudden increase in violence.
“Our officers are committed to your safety and protecting our community,” said Sergeant Mike Buxton-Carr, RCMP Banff detachment commander. “Banff RCMP actively patrol the downtown core, including the pedestrian zone, every night to provide a visible deterrent to crime and are available at all times to respond to calls from the public for assistance.”
News of the homicides has shaken residents.
“It just makes you wonder: Can you go out again? What’s going to happen?” said Ms. Zammit, who added the recent spate of deaths made her feel “terrified.”
Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said in a statement Sunday that the incidents have left “a community in mourning,” still trying to heal from the first fatal stabbing in August.
“Like many in the community, I am feeling angry, profoundly saddened, and overwhelmed by the fatal stabbing in our town yesterday. On behalf of council and of the community, I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the young man who died,” Ms. DiManno said. “This brutal violence is shocking to our community and we are taking this issue very seriously.”
After the killing of Mr. Enns-Goneau, Banff began encouraging residents to seek out mental-health counselling, opening up walk-in mental-health support at the hospital in Banff every day.
“This [latest] incident will cause a resurgence of anxiety and trauma for some,” Ms. DiManno added. “It’s vital that folks who are struggling access the support services they need during this time.”
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