Safety concerns raised after deadly attack in downtown Calgary

A random deadly attack targeting a woman in downtown Calgary has left people stunned. A nightmare scenario for many who are now wondering how to keep themselves safe.

Shane Lutzi is the lead instructor and owner at Life Armour YYC. He says he tries to teach people to be aware of their surroundings and be assertive in tense situations.

“We want people to not live in fear, but to have a sense of preparedness when they go out into the community,” Lutzi said. “Turn around and you make eye contact, and you verbally challenge the person, ‘Why are you following me? What are you doing? What do you want from me?’ A lot of the times that will deter them.”

WATCH: CityNews’ Jasmine Vickaryous reports on safety concerns being raised after a woman was randomly attacked and killed on Friday. 

He says the best advice is to avoid altercation but to defend yourself if it comes to it.

“You need to summon as much courage as you possibly can in the moment, and, for lack of a better term, fight like hell to get out of the situation.”

Random violent incidents don’t happen exclusively when the sun goes down. Nicole Jacewicz was the victim of a violent attack last May in Downtown Calgary. She says a man robbed her at knifepoint in broad daylight on a busy sidewalk.

“He turned around and pulled the knife on me,” Jacewicz said. “He came towards me and told me to give him my purse. I was shocked, so I just put my hands up. There was only one person who stopped and helped, everyone else just walked by.”

Jacewicz says she has always felt uneasy walking downtown alone, but this incident has changed her life.

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“I used to love going for walks, I used to love being outdoors,” Jacewicz said. “And since May I haven’t left the house by myself once.”

A community of women in Calgary have come together to share information about incidents like these.

Lexi Willis created the Facebook page YYC Women’s Safety Group as a safe space to spread awareness about certain experiences. She says she has noticed an increase in women posting about close calls.

“I just wanted to be able to have a safe space for women to be able to come together and share their experiences or how to stay safe during times of uncertainty,” Willis said.

Women post about violent incidents and close calls on the Facebook page hoping to warn others and provide safety tips. The group now has over 5,000 members—all with the common goal to make Calgary a safer place.