Five people in their late teens and early twenties were fatally stabbed at an end-of-term college house party in Calgary, Alberta early Tuesday, police in the western Canadian city said.
Officers said they tracked down and detained a suspect near the property where students were holding a house party in the back yard to mark the final day of classes at the University of Calgary.
The suspect, also in his early twenties, has not been charged but Calgary Police Service Spokeswoman Emma Poole told NBC News that officers are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
The stabbings happened at around 1.20 a.m. (11.20 p.m. ET Monday) at Butler Crescent in the northwest of the city just blocks from the university, Poole said.
The victims were four men and one woman and as far as police knew there were no other injuries. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other two were taken to hospital but succumbed to their injuries.
Poole added that the deceased have not been identified and it is not known if they were students at the University of Calgary.
"The party had been going for several hours and there were a few dozen people there, it would be fair to say," she said. "We believe it was a college party because it was the last day of classes and the University of Calgary is just blocks away. Lots of students live in this area."
In a short statement on its website, the university said it was "mourning the loss of five young people killed early this morning in Brentwood."
It added: "The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed by Calgary Police Services. Once details are confirmed by Calgary Police Services, the university will provide a further statement."