The family of the teen who was shot and killed during a community barbecue in Scarborough says more needs to be done to stop young people from picking up guns in the first place.
Tyrone Charles lost his 14-year-old granddaughter, Shyanne, during the deadly mass shooting on Danzig Street this summer.
Upon learning that a man had been charged with the murder, Charles said he felt sorry for the suspect’s family.
“In a sense, I’m happy,” he told CTV Toronto on Thursday.
However, Charles said real change needs to occur in neighbourhoods marred by gun violence. He said the problem may stem from the fact that many of the city’s young gang members do not have strong role models in their lives.
“A real father supports their children,” he said.
Toronto police allege that the Danzig shooting was connected to gang rivalries.
Wednesday, police arrested 18-year-old Shaquan Mesquito and charged him with Shyanne’s murder and the murder of 23-year-old Ajax resident Joshua Yasay. Mesquito was already in custody for uttering threats on the day of the Danzig shooting.
It marked the first murder charges laid in the investigation, but they likely won’t be the last, police said Thursday.
Investigators say as many as five guns were fired when shots rang out at the community party in July.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Austin Delaney
