More than 100 people gathered for a vigil on Thursday evening to honour eight-year-old JahVai Roy, who was struck and killed by a stray bullet in his North York apartment over the weekend.
“I wish this on nobody. It’s an indescribable amount of pain,” Holly Roy, JahVai’s mother, told the crowd of people, wearing a T-shirt with her son’s name and photographs on it.
“I want everybody to know his name. I don’t want his name to ever be forgotten.”
Around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, JahVai was in bed with his mother at their home near Martha Eaton Way and Trethewey Drive when he was hit by the bullet.
Toronto police search for suspects after 8-year-old shot dead
The vigil took place just steps away from their apartment building, with family, friends, community members and local leaders in attendance to honour JahVai’s memory and the impact he made on others.
Many wore blue, JahVai’s favourite colour, taking part in chants, like “Justice for JahVai” and “Enough is enough.”
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JahVai is described by loved ones as a good and compassionate boy, who was a fearless anti-bullying advocate.
“I don’t want his memory to be tragic,” Roy said, pausing as she cried. “I want his memory to be good because he was a really good little soul.
“That’s who he was when he was physically here…. He took good care of me. He was always there, ‘Mom, what do you need? You need some water?’ … His love language was loud. It was love.”
Toronto police are still looking for suspects in the case.
Delroy Sherman, a community pastor, was among the attendees who said they hope JahVai’s death serves as a call to action to address gun violence in Toronto.
Sherman urged Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw to work directly with community members.
“Then we can make a change; they can’t do stuff by themselves,” he said.
Chow and Demkiw were at the vigil, taking turns comforting Roy and offering their support.
Chow gave a speech, and while there’s no word on where the gun in this case came from, the mayor called for a crackdown on illegal guns originating from the United States.
“It’s those guns that have invaded our streets, that have made gun violence so horrifically random, senseless,” she said. “Let this anger give us the hope that we know we can make the change.”
A rally against gun violence is set to take place outside Toronto City Hall on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.
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