'Swift, brutal and purposeful': Killer in random stabbing on Calgary LRT platform guilty of murder
A Calgary man who killed a father of three in an unprovoked stabbing on a CTrain platform in 2017 is guilty of second-degree murder, a judge ruled Thursday.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Michele Hollins called the killing “swift, brutal and purposeful” as she convicted Keeton Gagnon, 43, in the death of Nicholas Nwonye.
The evening of June 2, 2017, the 46-year-old father was waiting to board a train at City Hall station. He was studying nursing at Bow Valley College and was on his way home.
Court heard CCTV footage captured the moments before the attack, where Hollins said Gagnon was seen carrying a long bladed knife in his right hand.
Nwonye was waiting to board the train when Gagnon tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he was stabbed three times.
Two of the stab wounds went through vital organs, including his heart, the court heard.
Gagnon walked away but was arrested a short time later.
The judge said the only issue for her to decide at the trial was whether or not Gagnon was guilty of murder or manslaughter.
Hollins said she determined Gagnon intended to cause severe bodily harm, leading her to convict him of second-degree murder.
Outside court, Crown prosecutor Ken McCaffrey said he is pleased with the judgement.
“The attack in this case was one of gratuitous violence. It’s extremely cowardly and puts a chill in the community because the victim in this case was minding his own business.”
“What’s particularly sad is he was coming to Canada to make a better life for his family and was in nursing school. So the community really lost when Mr. Nwonye was killed,” said McCaffrey.
FAMILY DEVASTATED
Nwonye worked as an engineer in Nigeria and had just moved with his family to Calgary 18 months before his death.
He was working two jobs while taking classes to support his wife and three children, including a newborn.
His wife did not attend Thursday’s decision. Two of Nwonye’s sisters and mother attended virtually from New Jersey.
“In my mind I’ve always known he was guilty…but it doesn’t change the situation that Nicholas is gone that we can never see him,” said Ezi Agwu, Nwyone’s younger sister.
“For me today, it’s more of a deterrance so that he doesn’t do this to some other person.”
Agwu said family members had been prepared to travel to Calgary for the trial which was originally scheduled for April 2019, but the case was adjourned several times.
“The accused person in this case has been delaying justice but they always say justice delayed is not justice denied.”
Agwu said her brother’s death has been extremely difficult for the family.
“Nicholas was a very kind, peaceful person,” she said.
Agwu said it’s devastating knowing how her brother was killed.
“He waited for him to get up and stabbed him at the back. Who does that? That’s a coward,” said Agwu.
Some family members may travel to Calgary for sentencing.
The judge ordered a Gladue report, which looks at an Indigenous offender’s upbringing.
Gagnon faces an automatic life sentence with no parole for 10 to 25 years. A date for a sentencing hearing will be set in November.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.