Roughly 1,000 people came together in Lethbridge, Alta., Saturday afternoon to celebrate the lives of three young people cut short by an act of violence. The baseball-themed memorial was held at the Enmax Centre for the victims who were shot dead on an Alberta highway last month near Claresholm.
Tanner Craswell, Mitch MacLean and Tabitha Stepple were gunned down in mid-December by Stepple's ex-boyfriend Derek Jensen, who then turned the gun on himself. The only survivor — 21-year-old Shayna Conway — is still recovering from her injuries. Conway was at the memorial alongside the families of the victims.
Conway, who prepared a video statement because she has difficulties moving around, said she is slowly recovering. “I’m so grateful for all the love and support we have received from so many people,” she said, adding some of whom were strangers.
Families of both MacLean and Craswell travelled to Alberta from P.E.I. for the ceremony. Keith Craswell, Tanner’s dad, said his son was always able to appreciate the kindness shown to him by others.
“He appreciated it ... every bit of it,” he said. Dianne MacLean, Mitch’s mother, read a poem that she had written for her son’s funeral. It was called Last Time at the Plate, and talked about her son's passion and love of baseball.
She also said the hospitality shown to her in Lethbridge was outstanding. “You treated us like royalty,” she said. “We knew Mitch loved it here in Lethbridge.”
'Nine-inning' tribute
Craswell and MacLean were considered rising baseball stars and played for the Lethbridge Bulls, so the ceremony was themed around their sport. “It’s a nine-inning baseball game — a different type of tribute every inning and each inning has a theme,” said Kevin Kvame, Lethbridge Bulls president and general manager.
Kvame was busy preparing for the memorial Friday by sorting through memorabilia that will be set up to honour the victims. “I think it's helped because we've been able to stay focused on that and not so much on the event and start to remember them for the good times that we had,” he said.