Calgary’s Eritrean community grieves over loss of Adonai Tekle at funeral

CFCN0 Family and friends say Adonai Tekle was loving and generous. He died several days after trying to de-escalate a fight. Tyler Barrow reports.

Saturday was a heartbreaking one for members of Calgary’s Eritrean community who gathered for the funeral of Adonai Tekle.

Tekle was a 24-year-old mechanic who died in the early hours of Monday, Feb. 17 when he tried to break up a fight at an after-hours party at a restaurant on 17 Ave. S.E. around 6:20 a.m.

When the fight escalated to involving more than two people, Tekle tried to calm down the situation and was hit in the head and died three days later in hospital.

Saturday at the funeral in southwest Calgary, Danien Egubat, who does public relations for the Eritrean Canadian Community Association of Calgary spoke of the emotional devastation felt by all members of the city’s Eritrean community and in particular Tekle’s grieving family.

“We are so devastated as a community. It’s very difficult. We have been losing young ones like that for the last two years.

“I have no words to express how sad everyone is and upset.”

Adam Debsu is a family friend who knew Tekle for about two years.

“He was a kind person,” Debsu said. “He was a very loving and very generous and fine boy, you know, they have been very helpful to his family and community.”

Tekle’s family and friends were upset that when he was injured, he was taken home in a taxi and wasn’t transported to hospital until later that afternoon, Egubat said.

“They could have called 911 for the ambulance, and they could have saved a life,” he said. “So they chose to do something else.”

Egubat said the family was upset that there is not more enforcement of after-hours parties.

“We want the government, or the authorities responsible to step in and then fix this problem. Otherwise you’re going to keep losing (young) people.

“And we don’t want that -- enough is enough,” Egubat added. “We got through a lot to get here (to Canada). We came here to live a peaceful life. I didn’t come here to die. I came here to live a peaceful life.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to cover the funeral expenses.

Calgarian Dawit Desta Yosief was arrested and has been charged with manslaughter.

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow