A central Alberta man was one of two people killed in a Las Vegas stabbing rampage last week.
Last Thursday, a man with a large kitchen knife killed two people and wounded six others in stabbings along the Las Vegas Strip.
One of the people who lost their life was 47-year-old Brent Hallett from Ponoka.
“Brent had a great soul and loving spirit. He could make friends with anyone. He loved three things above all else: his wife Carmelita, his family and animals,” said a GoFundMe page organized by Carmelita Hallett, Brent’s widow.
The GoFundMe page was launched this week to create a new animal welfare foundation in honour of Brent Hallett. The fundraiser, which has a $50,000 goal has raised more than $3,000, as of Friday morning.
“Brent and his wife donated money to various animal welfare causes frequently,” said the GoFundMe.
To find the online fundraiser search “Brent Hallett Vegas Tragedy” on www.gofundme.com.
The man accused in the stabbing, Yoni Christian Barrios, has been charged with two counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder. A Jan. 12 hearing has been set to determine if Barrios will face trial in state court on charges that could have him confronting a possible death penalty.
Authorities say Barrios, 32, asked sidewalk showgirls to pose with him for a photo before wielding a large chef’s knife to fatally stab Brent Hallett and Maris DiGiovanni, 30, outside the Wynn Las Vegas resort. Two other women dressed as showgirls were among the six people injured in the midday attack, according to police.
A Las Vegas police arrest report said that after arriving in Las Vegas, Barrios sought work at the Wynn and asked a hotel janitor to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to return him to Guatemala before the alleged sidewalk attack.
Barrios told police he was trying to sell his chef’s knives so he could go back home, and police said he was wearing a chef’s long-sleeved white jacket that was stained with blood when he was arrested after a short chase.
Officers also retrieved a knife that Barrios was believed to have thrown into bushes as he fled, according to the authorities.
—With files from The Associated Press
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