Crowdfunding raises more than $80K for C-Train stabbing victim's family

Friends,classmates and complete strangers have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the family of a man killed in a stabbing on a downtown Calgary C-Trainplatform last month.

As ofFriday, theGoFundMecampaignhas raised more than $88,000 of a goal of$150,000.

NicholasNwonye, who was married with three children including a three-month-old baby, was killed on June 2 inwhat police say was a random attack by a stranger.

Nwonye suffered life-threatening injuries when he was stabbedatthe City HallC-Trainplatform at around 6:45p.m. and died in hospital.

• Fatal City Hall C-Train station stabbing a random attack, say police

Nwonyehad moved to Canada only two years earlier, leaving his job as an engineer in Nigeria and enrollingin the Practical Nursing program at Bow Valley College.

While in school, he was working two jobs to support his family, including histhree-month-old baby.

"A very, very calm, gentle soul"

The fundraising campaign was started by Nwonye'sBow Valley College classmates.

Nwonye was just four weeks into the nursing program but nursing instructorRhondaHersaksaid he "stood out" from the class and news ofNwonye'sdeath "devastated" bothHersakand her students.

"[He was] just pleasant, a very, very calm, gentle soul,"Hersak said

Nwonye was the only man in Hersak's class of 38 students. He was known for getting his classmates talking and stimulating discussions.

KeetonMichelGagnon, 39, is charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death.

Gagnon has a long criminal history with police in British Columbia dating back two decades.

He's a careercriminal with dozens of convictions including assault with a weapon, robbery, escaping custody, and many breaches.

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