With a birthday cake in hand, family and friends of a man fatally shot almost two years ago gathered at his tombstone to celebrate what would have been his 26th birthday.
“Wishing you were here today, for even just a while, so I can say happy birthday and see your lovely smile,” the victim’s mother, Barbara Gill, said in the graveyard. “I will gaze upon pictures and think of you with love, and hope you’re doing fine in the heavens above.”
Barbara’s son, Dylan Gill, was killed around 1 a.m. on Jan 23, 2017 after leaving a club called Cameo Lounge in Woodbridge.
After leaving the club, Dylan got into a vehicle with some friends. As they were travelling south on Islington Avenue, near Milady Road in North York, a dark sedan pulled up beside them and someone opened fire.
Police believe Dylan was the only person in the vehicle who was targeted in the shooting.
On May 4, 2018, police released security images of two persons of interest. There have been no further leads since then.
Dylan was 24 years old when he was shot. Since his death, his parents and friends have gathered at the graveyard to celebrate his birthday.
“It’s very hard,” Dylan’s father, Shabi Khoshaba, said. “It’s very hard to wake up every day and realize he’s not there.”
Last year, Barbara said, they released 25 balloons into the air in his memory.
“Even today, people are probably saying ‘oh my God she is doing happy birthday for her son,’ but that’s the only thing that I look forward to,” she said. “I’m sick and tired of kissing his picture and that is the only thing I have left.”
The family filled the tombstone vase with white flowers and placed red roses on the grass. Behind the tombstone was a large cardboard cutout that said “Happy 26 Birthday Dylan” in gold writing.
After the celebration of life, the group marched to Toronto Police Service 23 Division, donning T-shirts and holding posters that said “Justice for Dylan,” to protest the lack of information available about his death.
The family is making a plea to the public, asking anyone with information to come forward and contact investigators.
“Please speak up,” Dylan’s cousin, Joseph, said. “There are people every day waking up with their lives crushed because of this situation. You can make a difference.”
“Even if you have any type of information you might think is not important, just call anonymously,” Barbara said. “You don’t have to give your name or anything. At least we can go forward in that way.”
“All we want as parents is closure.”
-With files from CTV News Toronto's Miranda Anthistle
