Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson says it’s “the worst murder, mass murder in Calgary history”.
Five people are dead – the suspect is son of a Calgary police officer.
Chief Hanson says the suspect “targeted the victims one by one - stabbing them several times”.
Police were called out to a house party on Butler Crescent in the northwest neighbourhood of Brentwood around 1:30 am Tuesday. Someone inside the home made the call.
Three young men were found stabbed to death inside the house, a young woman was clinging to life, and another young man was found bleeding on the front lawn.
The man and woman were rushed to hospital, but they died from their stab wounds as well.
The suspect took off, but police K9 unit was able to track him down and arrest him just a few blocks away.
The suspect is a University of Calgary student who was invited to the party, the Chief Hanson says when he arrived he was armed with a weapon, but also grabbed a knife he found inside the house.
No names of the victims have been released, but Calgary police say there are four victims from Calgary, a 23-year-old woman, two 23-year-old men, and a 27-year-old man. The fifth victim is a 22-year-old man from Priddis.
Hanson says that he has spoken with the police officer whose son is the suspect. Hanson says he is 'absolutely devastated' at what happened. "He wanted me to pass on condolences to all the family of the victims."
He added that the scene in Brentwood was horrific. "We've never had five people killed like that before. A scene like that has a tremendous impact on the members."
Neighbours in the area were surprised to hear about the stabbing.
Doug Jones said he had been home on Monday night and noticed a party was wrapping up at the home.
"From 8:30 until about 9:00, and they were just shutting 'er down and they moved inside. They weren't even that loud, so I don't - you know, by 10, 10:30, you could barely even tell they had people over there."
Jones says the home at the centre of the police investigation is a rental and currently houses a number of students.
"Never have any problems with them. They're good people. I don't know what to say."
Cheryl Roger, another resident in Brentwood, says that she knows university kids live at the home. "I drive past and see them there."
She says it's very shocking to see violence in the neighbourhood, because there is very rarely any trouble.
Roger says she suspects the stabbing was related to a party at the home. "My son was interviewed earlier this morning and said it was 'Bermuda Shorts Day' at the university. So I'm sure it was another one of those parties like the one up on Brisebois. Bunch of kids together and drinking and stuff."
