Above: Shannon Greer reports on the families mourning the loss of loved ones
EDMONTON – Family, friends and community members are mourning the loss of two men who were killed at their place of work Friday afternoon.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has identified the victims of the stabbing at a Loblaw warehouse in the city’s west-end as 50-year-old Fitzroy Harris and 41-year-old Thierno Bah.
Harris’ daughter Patricia Harris says music was her father’s life. She issued the following written statement Saturday.
Music was his life, and reggae music was his soul. Spragga aka Fitzroy G. Harris was my dad, our dad. He was a husband; a grandfather; a son; a brother; an uncle and a friend. Those who knew him, will do so for his knowledge of music and his ability to be a DJ. By no means was he a trouble maker, he goes out of his way to avoid it. Our family in addition to the primary six family members involved, including P. Jayme, will never be the same.
Shame on you coward… May God not have mercy on your soul.
Fitzroy Harris also has another daughter who lives in the U.S. and a son who lives in Jamaica.
An obituary for Thierno Bah appeared on a Guinean community website Saturday. Those who knew him well say he was a great man and a family man.
“He’s always here for people, he’s always here for us,” said Gando Bah, Thierno’s close friend. “Everybody in our community wants to be like him, always playing with kids and being in touch with everybody.”
Edmonton’s Guinean community has come together to support Thierno’s family, but Gando says they are struggling to cope with how this could have happened.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, because you can’t imagine that’s happened to a guy like him.”
Thierno lived in Guinea and France before coming Canada in 2009. He moved to Edmonton last year. He leaves behind a wife and four small children, ranging in age from 10 months to seven years old.
“Even for a friend it’s very hard to be here talking about it. You can imagine what his wife and child(ren) are in right now,” Gando said.
“What now? He is not here. What to do with his family? What to do with his kids?” Gando said, holding back tears.
“They are too small for that. How do you explain to them they will not see again their father? What is the future for them?”
Four other people were sent to hospital after the suspect, 29-year-old Jayme Pasieka, allegedly walked into the warehouse with two knives and stabbed six people Friday afternoon.
Police say charges against Pasieka will be laid Saturday afternoon. He is facing two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.
Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Thomas Lukaszuk addressed the workplace stabbing Saturday. He says once police are finished with the scene, a thorough review will be done from an Occupational Health and Safety perspective. He also says family and co-workers of the victims will be offered counselling through the Workers’ Compensation Board.
Comments