Just days after a 15-year-old student was fatally shot inside his Toronto high school, a surviving victim of gunfire held a second annual walk against violence.
Louise Russo, a mother of three, was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the spine by a hitman's stray bullet inside a sandwich shop on April 21, 2004.
Since the shooting, Russo has launched a campaign to eliminate violence. She started W.A.V.E., or Walk Against Violence Everywhere.
Hundreds of residents took part in the charity event on Sunday afternoon, held at York University's Track and Field Centre.
Russo says the fatal shooting of Jordan Manners Wednesday afternoon at nearby C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute highlights the tragic circumstances left behind by violence and firearms.
Five $2,000 Louise Russo Youth Awards presented at the walk to children who promote tolerance, safety and opposition to bullying.
An unusual plea deal brought Russo's case to an end in April of 2006, just days short of the second anniversary of the night she was shot.
The deal saw her alleged attackers pay over $2 million to Russo in exchange for reduced sentences. It was an arrangement that sparked controversy in the Ontario legislature. Opposition politicians said it was an attempt to buy lighter sentences.
However, a judge accepted the deal and sentenced three of the accused to nine years in prison. The fourth man who police said actually pulled the trigger was given 10 years behind bars.
