8-year-old boy struck and killed by stray bullet while in bed in North York home

An eight-year-old boy was struck and killed by a stray bullet while in bed in his North York home early Saturday morning in what police described as a “cowardly and disgusting act of violence.”

The boy has been identified by his family as JahVai Roy.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Marcell Wilson said the child was lying in bed with his mother when the bullet hit him.

“There are no words that can capture the pain of losing a child in such a horrific and senseless way,” Wilson told reporters at the scene.

“An innocent life has been taken, a family is shattered, and our community is mourning. The death of a child to gun violence is the clearest reminder that this crisis has gone far too deep.”

Toronto police said several calls came in for reports of gunshots at 15 Martha Eaton Way, near Black Creek and Trethewey drives, just before 12:30 a.m.

When they arrived, officers found the boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later.

JahVai is the city’s 26th homicide victim of the year.

Speaking at the scene, Det. Sgt. Jason Davis called it “an unimaginably tragic incident.”

“He was in his home, the safest place that you can be with your family, in bed when he was struck by a stray bullet,” Davis said.

The homicide detective noted two other units in the building were also hit by gunfire, though no additional injuries were reported.

“What’s happened here is a cowardly, disgusting act of violence and every resource available in the city is being allocated to this right now,” he said.

“We’re asking anybody with information to please come forward.”

Davis shared that police do not have information about a suspect or suspects at this time.

He indicated that the shooting occurred outside the building near a playground where “a group of individuals were standing at that time.”

“We’re asking those individuals if you did not speak with police while you were on scene, please, please, contact us. Every little bit matters,” he said.

‘We can no longer treat this as acceptable or normal’

The boy had his whole life ahead of him, said Wilson, who is also a family friend.

“I stand with this grieving family, with their neighbours, and with every parent who feels fear for their child’s safety,” he said.

“We owe it to him and we owe it to every child to do better.”

Wilson urged those responsible for the shooting to do the right thing and turn themselves in to the police before more damage is done.

“To those responsible for this boy’s death, you have not only destroyed a life of a child and devastated his family, but you’ve also destroyed your own future,” he said.

“Every choice has consequences, and this choice has left scars that can never be erased.”

Wilson, who is the founder and president of the One by One Movement, an advocacy group fighting gun violence, encouraged families, schools, community leaders, police, and all levels of government to unite and take action to prevent similar incidents.

“When our children are not safe in their own homes, on their streets, in their own neighbourhoods, in their own beds, we must acknowledge that we have failed them,” he said.

“This is not just about crime, it’s about the systems, the cycles, and the lack of support that allow this level of violence to continue. We can no longer treat this as acceptable or normal.”

‘No stone unturned’ in pursuit of suspects: chief

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw echoed his detective’s earlier sentiments that homicide investigators will deploy all resources available to arrest all those responsible.

“We’ll do everything we possibly can to pursue every lead, every bit of evidence, wherever it takes us, to ensure that those who are responsible for this horrible act of violence are held accountable,” he told reporters on Saturday afternoon.

Demkiw urged the suspect(s) to turn themselves in, warning them that “we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of you.”

“Make no mistake about it. Every single hour that passes, your world will shrink. It will continue to shrink,” he said.

Before the news conference, the chief spoke with the family and described the meeting as very difficult.

Demkiw told reporters that he informed them that Toronto police are committed to apprehending the people behind the boy’s death.

“I am a parent. I’ve raised two children in our city, and I cannot imagine the sense of loss that the mother and family are feeling now,” he said.

Demkiw renewed his call for law/bail reform when it comes to shootings in congregate settings and the need for these incidents to be treated “in the most significant and severe way available within the legal system.”

“A shooting that results in a death that happens in a congregate setting needs to be a pathway to first-degree murder charges so that people can be held accountable at the highest level, and we would hope it would serve as a deterrent to those who pick up firearms to solve their grievances or whatever it is that motivates them in any circumstance,” he said.

The chief noted that Toronto police will be in the neighbourhood for as long as it takes to bring a sense of safety and security to the community.

‘Unbearable’: Mayor Chow

Speaking to reporters on Saturday afternoon, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow shared that she spoke with the boy’s mother, who is devastated by what happened.

She called the incident tragic, cruel, and horrendous.

“It’s a mom’s worst nightmare to have your family with you in the comfort and safety of your home, and then your son is shot to death. It is just devastating,” Chow said.

“We have to put all our resources to stop these guns on the street and also bring people to justice, and we must also make sure that those people that are holding guns are locked up, because they should not be going around shooting and killing and maiming totally innocent, in this case, an eight-year-old boy.”

The mayor said she also spoke with the police chief, who reassured her that officers are using all resources to solve this case.

She pleaded with the person who fired the shot to turn themselves in.

“It’s unbearable. We must stop this senseless violence. We must stop it now, and it’s a responsibility for every Torontonian, not just mothers, but everyone who believes in justice,” Chow said.

In a statement shared hours after the shooting, the mayor called for the end of gun violence in the city.

In a post to social media, officials from the Toronto Police Association also chimed in, calling the incident an “unimaginable loss.”

“Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the eight-year-old boy tragically killed in North York early Saturday morning.”

with files from CTV News Toronto’s Scott Lightfoot