The search for the person or persons responsible for the shooting death of an eight-boy-from North York continued on Sunday as an advocate along with the local councillor called for solutions to addressing gun violence in the city.
Just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, a shooter or shooters opened fire from an area at the edge of a residential property at 15 Martha Eaton Way, just off Trethewey Drive, unsuccessfully aiming at a target or targets near the building’s playground.
Instead, the bullets they fired hit the window of a unit, striking and killing a child who was in bed next to his mom.
Today, that play area is empty, as is the building’s pool, along with the unit where the boy was shot.
Investigators have removed the crime scene tape, but a heavy police presence remains in the vicinity.
The victim, identified by family and the police on Saturday as eight-year-old JahVai Roy, is Toronto’s 26th murder victim of the year.
“For a boy to be shot in their home, right beside their mother, that’s supposed to be the safest place that you can be, and it really speaks to what’s happening within the city right now,” said Keith Sweeney, a member of the Zero Gun Violent Movement, noting that while fatal shootings are down in the city, the number of shootings are actually up.
Speaking with CP24 on Sunday afternoon, Sweeney said the answer to eliminating gun violence in Toronto is to work collectively to “attack the roots” of the problem and better support those who are already working to do so.
“We know that there’s poverty happening. We know that there’s old beefs. We know that there are people who don’t like each other, and instead of addressing it, we’re sort of just watching it, right,” he said.
“So with Zero Gun Violence (Movement), we’re trying to attack those roots and actually get to the heart of what’s going on so that we can make change in the city. My mentor Louis March, he’d always say: ‘There’s zero gun violence in Rosedale. I’d like to see zero gun violence in Rexdale’.”
Sweeney said one of the ways groups and individuals are coming together is through an upcoming peace march, which will be held on Sept. 13 starting at Nathan Phillips Square.
”A lot of those community organizations will be coming together so that we can all really bring the voice and make it loud, so that people can come and be a part and make something happen,” he said.
“There’s an African saying: ‘Many hands make the loads light,’ right? So if we’re all coming together to work together, then we can make zero gun violence an actual possibility in the city of Toronto.”
Local Coun. Frances Nunziata, meanwhile, says the news of an innocent boy being killed is her ward makes her sick to her stomach, adding that gun violence in the city must be adressed.
“I’m shocked and disgusted with the gun violence that we have in the city. And yesterday, the young eight-year-old who was shot sleeping in his bed, it just makes me sick,” the York South-Weston rep told CP24 on Sunday afternoon.
Nunziata would only say that police are still working to understand the circumstances of this shooting and who may have been targeted. She did say that she’s aware that shots were fired from the sidewalk outside the residential building towards the playground area, near where the victim’s apartment is located.
“The bullets went through the window and to see a young, eight-year-old shot while he was sleeping, I’m really fed up with the gun violence we have in our city. I’m just disgusted,” she said.
Nunziata said she’s spoken with city staff who have assisted the boy’s family in temporarily relocating to a hotel while their unit gets repaired and so that they feel safe after experiencing such a tragedy in their home.
“This is very devastating for the family and my condolence goes out to the family and friends, and whatever we can do to assist we’re there to assist them,” she said, adding Mayor Olivia Chow has also indicated to her that she wants to meet with the family.
Nunziata said just months earlier she met with tenants and management of this exact building to discuss some concerns they had. Police were also on hand for that meeting, she said, adding that the chief would be attending an annual town hall meeting in her ward in October.
“When I heard about it yesterday morning, when I received a call from 12 Division, it just made me sick. There’s too many innocent people being shot and this has to end, and that’s why I’m very supportive of bail reform,” Nunziata said, adding that JahVai’s family has been “very active” in the community, advocating for solutions to gun violence among other things.
“We’re not sure who was targeted, if there was, if this was the targeted shooting, but I’m hoping that we can get the resolution very shortly.”
The Ward 5 councillor said one of the keys to addressing youth gun violence is to support vulnerable residents in the community, especially those experiencing poverty and other inequities.
“But we need to do more, you know, and I think that the community has to understand too, is that we need to work together and not just speak up and be angry when we have a shooting in the city,” she said.
“We need to work together. We need to try to solve the problem, rather than get angry and asking us what we’re doing, I think that we need to do it together.”
Yesterday, police made an appeal for witnesses. They say someone knows who pulled the trigger, but so far so no one has come forward to say who that person or persons may be.
“Please, please contact us. Every little bit matters. Whether you think that it’s useful or not or whether you saw something, please let us know,” Det. Sgt. Jason Davis told reporters at the scene hours after the fatal shooting.
Chief Myron Demkiw, meanwhile, is calling for those who commit such crimes to be “held accountable at the highest level,” adding that a shooting like this that results in death in a congregate setting should be a “pathway to first-degree murder charges.”
“We would hope it would serve as a deterrent to those who pick up their firearms to solve their grievances or whatever it is that motivates them. In any circumstance, your guns being shot in our public settings is unacceptable,” he said on Saturday.
Toronto police say all available resources are being dedicated to finding those responsible for the JahVai’s death.
Anyone with further information should contact the homicide unit at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Scott LIghtfoot
