diff --git a/rmw/include/rmw/event.h b/rmw/include/rmw/event.h
index e24cd5df..bf4917aa 100644
--- a/rmw/include/rmw/event.h
+++ b/rmw/include/rmw/event.h
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ rmw_get_zero_initialized_event(void);
  * \param publisher to initialize with
  * \param event_type for the event to handle
  * \return `RMW_RET_OK` if successful, or
- * \return `RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT` if invalid argument
+ * \return `RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT` if invalid argument, or
+ * \return `RMW_RET_UNSUPPORTED` if event_type is not supported, or
  * \return `RMW_RET_ERROR` if an unexpected error occurs.
  */
 RMW_PUBLIC
@@ -84,7 +85,8 @@ rmw_publisher_event_init(
  * \param subscription to initialize with
  * \param event_type for the event to handle
  * \return `RMW_RET_OK` if successful, or
- * \return `RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT` if invalid argument
+ * \return `RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT` if invalid argument, or
+ * \return `RMW_RET_UNSUPPORTED` if event_type is not supported, or
  * \return `RMW_RET_ERROR` if an unexpected error occurs.
  */
 RMW_PUBLIC
diff --git a/rmw/src/event.c b/rmw/src/event.c
index c4b3dc0a..8005fe47 100644
--- a/rmw/src/event.c
+++ b/rmw/src/event.c
@@ -32,52 +32,6 @@ rmw_get_zero_initialized_event(void)
   return event;
 }
 
-rmw_ret_t
-__rmw_init_event(
-  rmw_event_t * rmw_event,
-  const char * implementation_identifier,
-  void * data,
-  const rmw_event_type_t event_type)
-{
-  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(implementation_identifier, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(data, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-  RMW_CHECK_ARGUMENT_FOR_NULL(rmw_event, RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
-  if (NULL != rmw_event->implementation_identifier) {
-    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("expected zero-initialized rmw_event");
-    return RMW_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
-  }
-  rmw_event->implementation_identifier = implementation_identifier;
-  rmw_event->data = data;
-  rmw_event->event_type = event_type;
-  return RMW_RET_OK;
-}
-
-rmw_ret_t
-rmw_publisher_event_init(
-  rmw_event_t * rmw_event,
-  const rmw_publisher_t * publisher,
-  rmw_event_type_t event_type)
-{
-  return __rmw_init_event(
-    rmw_event,
-    publisher->implementation_identifier,
-    publisher->data,
-    event_type);
-}
-
-rmw_ret_t
-rmw_subscription_event_init(
-  rmw_event_t * rmw_event,
-  const rmw_subscription_t * subscription,
-  rmw_event_type_t event_type)
-{
-  return __rmw_init_event(
-    rmw_event,
-    subscription->implementation_identifier,
-    subscription->data,
-    event_type);
-}
-
 rmw_ret_t
 rmw_event_fini(rmw_event_t * rmw_event)
 {