In what police have called the worst mass murder in the history of Calgary, a man stabbed and killed 5 people at a house party using a knife.  The party took place near the University of Calgary where the suspect attended classes.  Police said that 3 male victims were found stabbed to death in the home and a male and female victim expired at a nearby hospital.  The suspect, identified as Matthew Douglas de Grood, was captured by a police canine unit and was being treated for a dog bite.  Apparently the suspect is the son of a 33 year veteran of the police force.  At a news conference, police chief Rick Hanson said, “This is the worst murder, mass murder, in Calgary’s history.  We have never seen five people killed by an individual at one scene. The scene was horrific.”  According to Hanson they do not have a motive at this time.  The only thing they do know is de Grood brought a weapon or “instrument” with him but used a knife from the house to carry out the murders.  The ages of the victims range from 22 to 27.

Two important points need to be made, 1) once again we clearly see that a gun is not necessary to carry out extreme acts of violence.  With the stabbing of 21 people in a Pennsylvania High School and now this mass murder, people need to take notice that violence is perpetrated by individuals and not by weapons.  The question that needs to be addressed is what’s wrong with these people and how do we treat them before they are able to carry out such horrifying acts of violence.  We won’t be seeing legislation introduced asking for the ban of knives because that would be silly.  Guns are no different.  They are part of American and yes Canadian culture, particularly in western Canada and trying to eliminate them is not unlike the war on drugs.  The fight is ridiculous and unwinnable.

2) While the death penalty does not exist in Canada, if ever there was a more clear-cut case of someone who should receive death as his punishment, this is it.  Sentencing this person to life in prison when he may have 50 or more years left to live is unfair to the citizens of Canada who have to pay for his room and board.  The suspect should be treated like a do-over.  He was a mistake, should never have been born and now needs to be laid to rest.  But of course that won’t happen because Canadians are civilized and I’m a barbarian.  The parents of de Grood are reportedly devastated by what happened.  One can only imagine how the parents of the victims are feeling.