WATCH: One week ago, the bodies of seven people were found in north Edmonton. Today, a funeral service was held for six of the victims, including two children. Kendra Slugoski reports.
EDMONTON – Family and friends of six people killed in last week’s mass murder are coming together to say goodbye Tuesday.
“Today, not only the Vietnamese community, but also a lot of friends in Edmonton who heard the sad news, they also came here with all their love,” said Phap Hoa, the abbot of the Truc Lam Monastery.
“The chapel was filled… with hundreds of people who are here to send their love, their care and their prayers to the victims.”
A service for the six victims began at 1 p.m. at Howard & McBride funeral home in downtown Edmonton. The family requested it remain a private event. Shortly before 1 p.m., about 150 people had made their way inside.
“That’s a horrible story, a sad story,” said Cuong Cao as he made his way inside. “We are Vietnamese too, so I just support the Vietnamese community. That’s why I came.”
“It’s not only for our community, but for the whole city,” added Quang Mai.
“We try to support the victims like this and probably the government or city will work out something to prevent this from happening again.”
The abbot explained the six individuals will be remembered at the service and cremation will follow. The chapel will remain open until 6 p.m. for anyone who wants to pay their respects.
The victims off the mass shooting have been identified as Phu Lam’s partner Tien Truong, 35; her sister Ha Truong, 33; their parents, Dau Le, 55 and Dang Truong, 55; Tien’s son, Elvis Lam, 8; Ha’s daughter, Valentina Nguyen, 3; a friend, Viet Nguyen, 41; and Cyndi Duong, 37.
Lam — the lone suspect in the killings — was not part of the service.
“The ceremony went very well,” said Hoa. “Very peaceful.”
“A lot of people brought a lot of tears and a lot of support, comfort for the family.”
Hoa said the victims’ family was doing “OK” and that the presence of so many people at Tuesday’s service meant a lot to them.
“The main thing we focus on is to remind other souls of the victims, to relieve their pain their… attachment in order to … liberate, more freedom for them to be reborn in a better place in the next life, where we feel there is peace.”
“Also, the same meaning to all the family,” Hoa added.
“I think all the family has accepted and forgiven.”
“Life is fragile. We’re unable to tell what’s going on tomorrow,” he explained, sharing some of what he said during the funeral service. “Life is meaningful by how we come to each other.”
READ MORE: Grief counsellors on hand at young murder victim’s school
Over the weekend, the Truc Lam Monastery held a prayer service for each of the people killed, including Lam, who later took his own life. The message given to those in the Buddhist monastery was one of love and acceptance after last week’s tragedies.
With twice as many people present as there would be during a usual Sunday service, prayers were said for each of the nine victims of the murder-suicide. In keeping with Vietnamese tradition, all of the victim’s names were displayed on a special altar.
READ MORE: Love and acceptance the message at prayer service for Edmonton mass murder victims
Cyndi Duong was laid to rest Monday in a private funeral service. Her childrens’ hockey team will be selling specially-designed stickers to raise money for her family.
A funeral service for Viet Nguyen — a friend of Lam’s wife, Tien Truong — will be held on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the police tape around the Lakeview home where seven of the victims were found dead in the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 30. has been taken down. The memorial there continues to grow.
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