St. Albert boy, 15, mourned as Edmonton police charge man with 2nd-degree murder
A 40-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 15-year-old St. Albert boy.
Edmonton police officers responding to reports of an injured youth near 137th Avenue and 184th Street around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday found Broden Radomske, 15, suffering from life-threatening injuries.
The boy died from his injuries at the scene, the Edmonton Police Service said in a news release.
An autopsy completed Friday confirmed the boy died of a stab wound, EPS said.
Keith James Landry, 40, was arrested shortly after the incident and has been charged with second-degree murder.
Police believe Radomske and Landry knew each other.
CBC News identified Radomske as the victim after receiving information from one of his friends, who learned the circumstances of the teen's death from Radomske's grandmother.
Seth Mathisen, shown left during a hockey game, wants people to remember Broden Radomske's love for hockey. (Submitted by Seth Mathisen)
The death of Radomske, a Grade 9 student at Lorne Akins Junior High School, has shaken the city.
The school's student body is struggling to make sense of Radomske's death, said Paula Power, communications manager for St. Albert Public Schools.
"It's been pretty devastating for everybody," Power said, adding that at least six counsellors were on hand at École Hillgrove School and Lorne Akins to help students process their feelings.
The boy is being remembered as someone who enjoyed life, often smiled and had a great group of friends. He was "very active in the hockey community" and played basketball, too, she said.
"It's hard to think of him being gone … It will leave a big hole," she said.
A small memorial was started in St. Albert to honour Broden Radomske. (Travis McEwan/CBC)
St.Albert resident Russ Vickers said he was shocked to hear of Radomske's death.
"That's a real hard one to swallow … I just said, 'How can that be? What's this world coming to?'"
'I just lost my best friend'
For 15-year-old Seth Mathisen, the loss of his best friend is still unbelievable. He heard about Radomske's death early Wednesday.
"I couldn't believe it. I called him, texted him, trying to make sure it wasn't true," Mathisen told CBC News.
"I just lost my best friend and I'm never going to see him again."
Seth Mathisen holds up an old photo of him and Broden Radomske as toddlers. (Sam Samson/CBC)
Mathisen wants people to remember Radomske's love for hockey — a game they played together while growing up. But he will most remember his friend's kindness, whether it was supporting him through the death of a grandparent or being a supportive moral compass.
If he could, he would thank Radomske, Mathisen said.
"Thank you for making me the person I am today," he said. "Thank you for being there for me — being there for all the hard times I was going through."
