'Big loss': Fear and sadness grips Ghanaian community, high school students after Toronto bus shootings
Several communities are grieving and living in fear after back-to-back shootings last week in northwest Toronto, with those connected to the victims still reeling with shock.
Arriving in November from Ghana, 40-year-old Adu Boakye had just begun his new life in Canada. Last Saturday, he was shot and killed while walking by a bus stop in the area of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Boakye’s Ghanaian community in the GTA is now organizing a vigil exactly one week after his death, on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. by the bus stop. Vigil organizers are asking people to bring flowers and say everyone is welcome.
One of Boakye’s closest friends, Richardson Adorsu, described him as jovial, and told CTV News Toronto he has four children between the ages of two and 17. Adorsu created a GoFundMe to help pay for Boakye’s funeral and help support his wife and kids back home.
Adu Boakye's vigil poster.
“Adu was the primary provider for his family,” he wrote. “This devastating situation is a big loss for a family who is so far [away] and cannot be here to see Adu for the last time.”
Emmanuel Duodu, president of the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario, said their community is “traumatized and very concerned.”
“He was somebody who was really excited about this country,” Duodu said. “We can only fathom a wife, a mother, a father being called to be told that your son, or your husband, or your father, who came to Canada has been shot by somebody randomly. That, to me, is heartbreaking.”
Local high school students are also sending prayers for the 16-year-old boy who suffered life-altering injuries after he was shot in the face at another nearby bus stop last Friday, with support being offered at school.
“We had a meeting with volleyball teams and wrestling teams because he was part of it, and we just talked about supporting and being there for each other,” said one Grade 10 student.
Officers have said while the incidents have the hallmarks of gang violence, that is not confirmed, and it’s not clear yet why the violence took place.
A police released image of a homicide suspect in connection to a shooting in the Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue area.
Police are still looking for the suspect, an 18 to 25-year-old man, along with more information about a stolen black Acura RDX. Officers say the suspect got out of the vehicle before firing at both victims.
“Our teacher said it was OK not to do work because it was very sad,” said another Grade 12 student. “I’m just imagining that I could have been that person. My friends could have been that person. It’s just terrible.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Toronto’s Police Chief Myron Demkiw visited the command post set up in the parking lot at the Driftwood Community Centre to create safety and listen to concerns.
“It’s really disheartening, but there are a lot of other issues attached to gun violence, tentacles attached to this, community issues, poverty, racism, marginalization,” said Rev. Sky Starr, a therapist and minister at Out of Bounds Grief and Trauma Support.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.