The sisters of a Markham man fatally shot while attending a memorial at a downtown Toronto park on Sunday say he will be remembered for his ‘Colgate smile’ and his positive attitude.
Michael Lewis, 30, was gunned down in a daylight shooting at Coronation Park while attending the memorial of another homicide victim. Lewis was with his pregnant partner and two children at the time.
His three older sisters drove to St. Michael’s Hospital as soon as they heard he had been shot, waiting for an ambulance that would never arrive.
“We are there and waiting, waiting. I’m wondering why is this taking so long?” Tara Lewis told CTV News Toronto. “No one wanted to say that he was gone.”
Michael was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say that four men approached him at the park and one of the suspects took out a handgun and shot Michael multiple times at close range.
His siblings don’t understand why someone would target their brother.
“That is why this is so crazy,” Tara said. “All he did was go to work, take care of his kids, so this is coming out of left field. We just, all of us are hurting. His kids are hurting.”
Michael was a construction worker who worked six or seven days a week, sometimes taking shifts working at neighbourhood clubs in the evening. When he wasn’t working, his sister says he was spending time with his children and his family.
Tara said that Michael was the youngest of five siblings and always made time to attend the basketball and football games of her sons, cheering the loudest and making a big scene.
“My brother was always there, loudest screaming there, yelling at the refs for everything."
Michael's daughter is nine years old and his son is six years old. Michael's girlfriend, Emily, is currently pregnant with his third child.
“People have no regard for life, for anything. They don’t care,” Tara said. “There is going to be a baby out there who is never going to know his dad. My niece and nephew are never going to see their father again.”
Consuela Lewis said that she is still processing the news. She was the first person to get the call saying her brother had been shot. She said she thought the person who called her was joking and what ensued over the next 48 hours was “a nightmare.”
“It was the worst feeling you could ever have,” she said. “Knowing that your brother is gone and he is not going back. That’s my little brother, my best friend.”
She said that her brother was known for his kindness, compassion and his goofy attitude.
“He would always be willing to do stuff for you. He was always there for his friends. He was always there for his family. He was always there for everybody,” Consuela said. “Everybody remembers my brother from his smile. When you’ve seen my brother, if he didn’t have a big Colgate smile on his face you knew something was wrong.”
Consuela said the whole family has rallied together to help take care of Michael's children, making sure they always remember him.
“We are never going to forget him,” she said. “We are going to keep on reminding them. Your dad is always going to be with you.”
-With files from CTV News Toronto's Tracy Tong
