'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
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Should you save or splurge on makeup this summer?
If you're wondering whether you should splurge or save when it comes to buying skincare products and makeup this summer, we got some answers for you.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.