{"id":643770,"date":"2026-05-02T21:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/643770\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T21:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:18:11","slug":"shelter-offers-statement-of-support-for-mother-of-2-children-allegedly-murdered-by-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/643770\/","title":{"rendered":"Shelter offers statement of support for mother of 2 children allegedly murdered by father"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Calgary non-profit that offers shelter for Black victims of domestic violence issued a statement of support Friday for a mother following the alleged murder of two children by their father.<\/p>\n

Investigators believe a man murdered his two children shortly before midnight Wednesday, then brought the bodies to police in northwest Calgary 10 hours later.<\/p>\n

A 37-year-old man was taken into custody.<\/p>\n

The identities of the victims and the accused are protected by a publication ban, and they will not be named.<\/p>\n

Police said it was the father who called them and that he confessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe accused contacted 911 and stated that he had killed his children and gave his location,\u201d said Staff Sgt. Mark Rahn.<\/p>\n

The accused made his first appearance before a justice of the peace in court Friday morning.<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll remain in custody, at least over the weekend, until his next scheduled court appearance Monday morning.<\/p>\n

\"\"Murder charges laid in children’s deaths | CTV News Calgary Noon Update for May 1, 2026 <\/p>\n

The accused and the children\u2019s mother were involved in a six-year, common-law relationship, police said, and had been separated for a little less than a year.<\/p>\n

According to court records, he has no prior criminal charges or convictions.<\/p>\n

There were no protective orders in place, but police said Friday that he was known to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe couple had a domestic history with Calgary Police Service. On four instances, we had attended their communal address,\u201d Rahn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo charges were ever laid (and) there was never any violence against the children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barely able to stand, the children\u2019s mother was helped into St. Michael Eritrean Orthodox Church Friday.<\/p>\n

\"\"Investigators believe a man murdered his two children shortly before midnight Wednesday, then brought the bodies to police in northwest Calgary 10 hours later. <\/p>\n

Inside, members of the Eritrean community wept openly, mourning the loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has never happened in our community, and it is a devastation for us and the whole community,\u201d said Goitom Mengesha with the Eritrean church.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are just shaken by what has happened here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruth\u2019s House statement<\/p>\n

Dee Adekugbe, who is the executive director of Ruth\u2019s House<\/a>, released the following statement later Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply heartbroken by the tragic loss of two innocent children in our community. This devastating incident has shaken families, community members, and all who hold the safety and well-being of children and families at the center of our shared humanity. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur hearts go out to the loved ones, extended family, and all those impacted by this unimaginable tragedy. We mourn with you. We stand with you. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis loss reminds us of the urgent need to continue strengthening community supports around mental health, domestic violence prevention, and culturally responsive care. Many families, particularly within ethnocultural communities, navigate complex pressures including isolation, stigma, and barriers to accessing help. These challenges can remain hidden until it is too late.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this time, we call on all levels of government, community leaders, and service providers to work collaboratively to:<\/p>\n

Increase access to culturally appropriate mental health and crisis supports;Strengthen early intervention and prevention services for families;Address stigma around seeking help, particularly among men and fathers; andInvest in community-based organizations that are trusted within ethnocultural communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also encourage anyone who may be struggling, or who sees signs of distress in others, to reach out. Support is available, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. As a community, we must hold one another closer. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe must listen more deeply. We must act with urgency and compassion to prevent such tragedies from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adekugbe founded Ruth\u2019s House in 2022 and opened a women\u2019s shelter for victims of domestic violence in 2024.<\/p>\n

She is also a community leader and a pastor.<\/p>\n

\u201cRuth\u2019s House remains committed to providing safe, culturally grounded support for individuals and families experiencing crisis, violence, or vulnerability,\u201d she said. \u201cAs the first ethnocultural emergency shelter and support service for Black families experiencing family violence in Calgary, we will continue to stand in the gap, offering care, connection, and hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this moment of grief, we ask the community to respect the privacy of the family and allow space for mourning,\u201d she added. \u201cTogether, we grieve. Together, we stand. Together, we commit to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

With files from CTV News\u2019 Damien Woods and Kevin Green<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Calgary non-profit that offers shelter for Black victims of domestic violence issued a statement of support Friday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":643771,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194293],"tags":[712,49,2798,48],"class_list":["post-643770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-calgary","tag-apple-news","tag-ca","tag-calgary","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=643770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/643771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=643770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=643770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=643770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}