Three men and a woman have been charged with manslaughter in the Canada Day stabbing death of a young man in 2018.
Kelowna RCMP announced the news on Saturday night, following what they say was a complex investigation stemming from a late-night altercation on July 1.
Esa Carriere, 23, was found on the ground, in grave condition, suffering from life-threatening injuries, along the 1400 block of Water Street, near the Queensway bus loop at approximately 10:50 p.m.
Police say Carriere was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries.
“This was a complex and resource intensive homicide investigation, which spanned multiple jurisdictions,” said Kelowna RCMP Insp. Laura Livingstone.
Charged with manslaughter are Nathan Truant, 26, Noah Vaten, 20, plus an unnamed 18-year-old man and an unnamed 18-year-old woman, all of Kelowna.
WATCH BELOW: (Aired July 2, 2018) Tragedy amid Canada Day celebrations in Kelowna.
“All four accused were taken into police custody during simultaneous arrests across Kelowna and outside the province Friday,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
On Sunday, police said they believe Carriere did not know any of his attackers.
According to police, Truant and the 18-year-old man were remanded into police custody over the weekend and are expected to appear in court on Monday.
Vaten has also been remanded into custody in order to be transported to Kelowna for his first court appearance. The 18-year-old woman has been released on bail, under strict conditions. She is expected to appear in court on February 14.
A friend of Carriere, Kevin Condie of Mississauga, Ont., told Global News in July that Esa was “a genuine guy.”
“I want everybody to remember him for being funny. He was always the jokester, whether it was something stupid or something funny, he would always be making people laugh,” said Condie. “He wasn’t the biggest guy either, so I think that’s why he had a great personality.
“He always smiled. He wanted to have fun.”
Carriere had recently moved to the Okanagan from Ontario, where he was working in the restaurant industry at Kelly O’Bryan’s on Bernard Avenue.
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