A 28-year-old man who was gunned down at a community barbecue on the weekend died as a hero, shielding several children as he was shot by a gunman, his family said at a news conference Thursday.

Toronto police read out a statement written by Jermaine Smith's family saying that the man's last act was a selfless one, as he pushed young kids out of the way to protect them before and during a hail of gunfire.

"It is our understanding that as Jermaine's life was being brutally ripped from him he was seen in the midst of the chaos shielding children," the statement said. "To us, the members of his family, this is proof of his character as a man and a father."

Smith was the father of a two-and-a-half-month-old son.

The family said the most heartbreaking part about Smith's death is that he will never get to watch his infant son grow up and that his son will never get to know him.

"That's the sad part," said Enroy Tomlinson, Smith's older brother. "He loved kids. Everywhere he went he would play with all the kids. He was a very good dad."

Police appeal for witnesses

Tomlinson spoke to reporters at the news conference after police released the family's statement and renewed their appeal for witnesses to the unsolved slaying.

Police said Smith was fatally shot as he stood next to his car in the parking lot of a townhouse complex at 4020 Dundas St. W., where people were gathered for a back-to-school barbecue Saturday night.

Shortly before 10 p.m., a male approached Smith, pulled out a handgun and fired several shots that struck him in the neck and head, said homicide Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks.

Smith died at the scene.

The shooting occurred steps away from a playground that was filled with children and just metres from the barbecue, which was attended by up to 150 people, Banks said.

Many children under 14 witnessed the killing and gave statements to police about what they saw, Banks said.

Motive not known

Police still don't know the motive for the shooting. Banks said Smith wasn't involved in a confrontation at the barbecue prior to the shooting, and there is no evidence he was involved in any gang activity.

The gunman fled and hasn't been arrested. Police are still speaking to witnesses to come up with a detailed description of a male suspect.

"The streets of Toronto will not be safe until (the suspect or suspects) are in police custody," Smith's family said in the statement. "Please help us bring justice for this horrible and cowardly crime."

Police are seeking tips from the public to try to identify the shooter. They're also asking any barbecue attendees who haven't spoken to investigators to call them.

Banks said potential witnesses fled before police arrived at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Toronto police homicide squad at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

"All they have to do is come forward," Tomlinson said. "A lot of people are afraid … but they should try their best to come forward and give whatever information they have to help out."

Family calls for end to gun violence

In addition to the appeal for information, Smith's family called for an end to the gun violence that has claimed the lives of many young men and women in Toronto over the past several years.

"It is a pain that no one should experience. The violence must end now," the family said.