Two people are dead after an apparent murder-suicide in downtown Calgary that may have been witnessed by a three-year-old child.
The man’s body was discovered about 5:30 a.m. on Saturday in the rear parking lot of the building with police later finding the woman dead in a sixth-floor suite above.
The three-year-old boy was found unhurt at her side.
The child was taken into the custody of Child and Family Services after being assessed in hospital, said Insp. Rob Williams.
“Thank God, the child was unharmed,” he said.
Police believe the woman is the child’s mother and that she was the dead man’s common-law wife.
While canvassing the adjacent building, police found the woman slain in the suite.
Several representatives of the city’s Sudanese community showed up at the building trying to find answers after hearing of the couple’s death.
Mario Ayudo, chairman of the United Sudanese Canadian Enhancement Society, said they were both in their early 30s and were well-liked in the community.
“They are very active members of the community, especially her,” Ayudo said.
He said he was struggling to comprehend what might have transpired.
“They do seem happy,” he said. “But you cannot (know) if someone is happy or not happy.
“In my community, we have never had something like this in our life, a man to kill a woman.”
Ayudo said the woman came to Calgary about 10 years ago and has extended family members living here.
He wasn’t sure when the man arrived in Canada, but said the pair met here.
Autopsies are scheduled for Monday.