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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.