CALGARY – The tragic death of 23-year-old Madisson Cobb, who was fatally shot in a Haysboro parkade on Saturday, July 19, has left a community in mourning and raised urgent questions about the systems designed to protect victims of domestic violence. Her ex-boyfriend, 26-year-old Devon Bradley Malik, has been charged with first-degree murder, a crime allegedly committed while he was under multiple court orders to stay away from her.
The sequence of events that ended Cobb’s life began as a routine Saturday afternoon. After finishing her shift at the LASIK MD clinic where she worked, Cobb was walking to her car in the parkade at the Shops at Heritage complex when she was gunned down. Calgary Police, who responded to reports of gunshots around 4:30 p.m., called the targeted attack a “very cowardly act”.
Within two days, the investigation led police to a Super 8 Motel on Macleod Trail, where they arrested Malik. He was charged with first-degree murder, with police confirming he and Cobb had been in a relationship that ended in January.
A Pattern of Fear and a Cry for Help
Court documents, including a handwritten affidavit from Cobb, paint a harrowing picture of the months leading up to her death. “I live in fear every day from him, I want him out of my life,” she wrote in her application for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO). “I shake and have panic attacks when I’m out or hear my phone go off out of fear he is there”.
The harassment began almost immediately after their breakup, escalating from “non-stop” calls and texts to more sinister acts. Cobb detailed how Malik had feigned a hospital stay to see her, slashed her car tires, and sent threatening messages.In a chilling detail, Cobb informed the court that she was aware Malik owned a gun that police had been unable to locate.
Even members of Malik’s own family tried desperately to intervene, describing his behaviour as a “relentless obsession”.His aunt, who attended his first court appearance “to support Madisson,” facilitated the serving of the EPO in her own home, hoping to end the harassment peacefully.
But the order proved ineffective. Hours after it was served on May 30, Cobb discovered a GPS tracking device on her car, a discovery that led to a criminal harassment charge against Malik. At the time of the shooting, he was bound by that charge, the EPO, and a subsequent, more formal restraining order issued on June 10.
Complicating the narrative further, court documents revealed that a second man, 26-year-old Eric Mason-Ward, a friend of Malik’s, was also charged with criminally harassing Cobb on June 1. Police have stated Mason-Ward is not a suspect in the murder.
A System Under Scrutiny
Cobb’s death has ignited a fierce debate about the efficacy of protection orders and the legal framework surrounding intimate partner violence. “She did everything she was supposed to do,” said Jordan Guildford, founder of the victim support organization Gems for Gems. “She got out. She got the protection order; she got all of it, and it still wasn’t enough”.
Advocates are renewing calls for the criminalization of “coercive control,” a pattern of psychological abuse, intimidation, and isolation that is a known precursor to homicide. A federal bill, C-332, that would have made coercive control a distinct criminal offence, died when the last federal election was called. The Calgary Police Service has voiced support for such measures, stating that “additional legal tools that recognize and address this form of abuse could strengthen our efforts to support victims and hold offenders accountable”.
A Community United in Grief
While the case highlights systemic failures, the community of Okotoks, where Cobb lived, has responded with an outpouring of love and support for her family. Cobb was remembered in her obituary as a “radiant light” with an “infectious passion for life” and a “contagious smile”.
Her family is deeply embedded in the local hockey scene; her father, Brad Cobb, is the head coach of the Okotoks Bisons, and her brother, Hunter, is a player. In a joint statement, local hockey organizations mourned her loss and stood in solidarity with the Cobb family, calling them leaders in the community. A GoFundMe campaign organized by a friend to cover funeral and counselling costs further underscored the community’s collective grief .
The Legal Path Forward
Devon Malik has made brief court appearances on the murder charge and a separate stalking charge, but has not yet retained a lawyer. The matters have been adjourned to early August.
The first-degree murder charge he faces is the most severe in Canada’s Criminal Code, carrying a mandatory life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. The charge can be applied not only to planned and deliberate killings, but also to “constructive” murders that occur during the commission of another serious crime, such as criminal harassment . This provision legally recognizes the fatal link between a campaign of stalking and the final act of violence.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the community continues to grapple with the loss of a vibrant young woman and the unsettling reality that the system designed to protect her ultimately failed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the Connect Domestic Violence and Abuse Helpline at 403-234-7233. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
