Students and staff at Lawrence Heights Middle School are grieving the death of a beloved Toronto teacher who was killed after a triple shooting early Tuesday morning.
David deBelle, the school’s principal, said 31-year-old Abshir Hassan was a dedicated supply teacher who left a great impact on the students he taught.
“He was beloved by all the students and the parents,” an emotional deBelle told reporters outside Lawrence Heights Tuesday afternoon.
“He just gave of himself, always”
“If any student had a problem, needed someone to talk to, he was that kind, caring adult who would lend an ear, take extra time, give advice and being an absolutely tremendous role model,” deBelle said.
Hassan was gunned down outside a low-rise apartment complex at 11 Flemington Rd., near Lawrence Avenue West and Allen Road, shortly after midnight.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots in short succession coming from the entrance of the building early Tuesday morning.
Police say a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were also rushed to the trauma centre at Sunnybrook Hospital, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Hassan succumbed to his injuries in hospital at around 9:30 a.m., while the other two victims were listed in serious but non-life-threatening condition.
DeBelle said Hassan had been working as a supply teacher at Lawrence Heights for the past year and had quickly became a much-loved teacher and role model.
“He always had time for them. He’d spend extra hours in the gym, running pick-up basketball games, taking his lunch hour to do that.”
Hassan even volunteered to DJ the school Grade 8 graduation, bringing in his own equipment and teaching students how to spin.
DeBelle said Hassan grew up in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood and took a special interest in mentoring at-risk youths in the area.
“I think growing up in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood, which is a marginalized community, he appreciated that challenges that many students experience having lived through that himself and always had a place for every kid.”
In the hours after the shooting, police searched the area for evidence and canvassed the neighbourhood for witnesses. They found several shell casings on the ground near the doorway of the building.
Det. Sgt. Steve Ryan told CP24 that the three victims were attending a party in the apartment complex and were gunned down soon after leaving the front door.
“All three left the party and went outside for different reasons and within minutes of being outside, all three were shot.”
Police say two male black suspects were seen leaving the area soon after the shooting. Officers say they are looking into a silver vehicle that may have been involved in the incident.
Ryan said all three victims were law-abiding citizens with no previous run-ins with police.
“That’s the troubling part of this whole case, it’s that these are three productive members of our society and all three wound up shot -- there is no motive, we at this point are unable to connect these three (victims) to any sort of criminality or enemies,” Ryan told CP24 Tuesday night.
Police say they are looking through security footage from the area and are asking any witnesses to come forward with information.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-3200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
With files from CP24
