Man ambushed, stabbed to death in Banff bar, friends say

The court appearance for a man accused in a Banff homicide last week has been put over until the end of the month.

John-Christopher Arrizza, 22, is charged with the second-degree murder of 26-year-old Ethan Enns-Goneau.

RCMP say Enns-Goneau was injured in an altercation at a bar on Banff Avenue, identified by CTV News as the Dancing Sasquatch, in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 5.

He was taken to hospital where he later died.

But many friends, family and locals take exception with law enforcement's use of the word "altercation."

At least four people instead referred to the incident as "an attack" when talking to CTV News Wednesday. 

Enns-Goneau's former boss, Bunny Julius, says another employee was with the 26-year-old when it happened. 

"They went in (to the Dancing Sasquash nightclub) for one drink," he said. "Ethan went downstairs to the bathroom and he was ambushed there. Wrong place, wrong time."

Police tape surrounds the Dancing Sasquatch located at 120 Banff Avenue on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. A 20-year-old man from Lake Country, B.C., was charged Sunday in relation to a homicide that took place early Saturday morning on September 3, 2022.Julius isn't the only one who believes the attack was random.  

Those CTV News heard say that the two men were not known to each other and that they believe "the attacker" was looking for a fight. 

They say Enns-Goneau was stabbed multiple times. 

"It's being reported as almost a mutual fight but it wasn't," Julius said. "It was an attack from behind. The only fight was Ethan trying to fight for his life."

Barring a bail decision, Arrizza will remain inside the Calgary Remand Centre until his next appearance on Aug. 24.

Officials with the Town of Banff say the last incident of this nature in Banff was in 1990.

A memorial service is being planned for Friday.