Ottawa, Ontario - 30 April 2014
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the occasion of a memorial ceremony honouring the five victims who lost their lives in a senseless act of violence in Calgary on April 15, 2014:
“It is with a deep sense of sadness and loss that Laureen and I offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of Jordan Segura, Joshua Hunter, Kaitlin Perras, Lawrence Hong and Zackariah Rathwell, whose lives were taken two weeks ago.
“As parents ourselves, our hearts go out to all of the families whose lives have been forever changed by this unimaginable tragedy. These were upstanding young adults, full of life, all with bright futures ahead of them. In fact, three of the five victims were students at the University of Calgary, just as I was many years ago. We join Calgarians, Albertans and the entire country in grieving.
“It is my hope that the tremendous outpouring of love and affection we have witnessed for these young people – including at today’s memorial ceremony – will help the families and all others deeply affected by these homicides to begin healing.
“I would like to thank the first responders who acted courageously to help the victims and comfort the families in the aftermath of this tragedy. I would also like to salute the Calgary Police Service, the University of Calgary and all Calgarians who have helped support those struggling to deal with their grief.
“These young people, who were taken from us so suddenly, will live on in our hearts, our memories and our prayers.”
