Family, community mourn 8-year-old Toronto boy killed by stray bullet while in bed – Toronto

An eight-year-old Toronto boy killed by a stray bullet while he was in bed with his family is being remembered as a compassionate and fearless child as the community prepares to hold a vigil in his memory later this week.

JahVai Roy was killed in his home in the city’s north end early Saturday morning in what police have called a “cowardly act.”

Marcell Wilson, a friend of the family, said they are still in shock and trying to make sense of the death while making arrangements to bury the boy.

Wilson described JahVai as “a genuinely good, happy, compassionate, kind, curious child,” who always made sure to look after his mom and his two siblings.

“He was the type of boy that wanted to climb a tree, or if there was a bird or something, he’d want to pick it up and touch it,” Wilson said in an interview Tuesday. “He was fearless.”

The vigil for JahVai is set to take place Thursday evening near the apartment building where he died.

The Toronto police homicide unit has said a bullet from a shooting outside the building in the Martha Eaton Way and Trethewey Drive area entered the residence at around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Police said stray bullets also entered two other units, but no one else was injured.

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“Despite every parent’s instinct to keep their children safe at home, that sanctuary was shattered in an instant,” says a statement on an online fundraiser launched to support JahVai’s family.

The GoFundMe page has already raised more than $57,000, and says funds will help the family with funeral expenses, relocation costs and trauma counselling.

Wilson said JahVai’s mom is currently trying to pick out the clothes she’ll put on her son before she buries him in Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, where traditional ceremonies will be held to honour the boy’s Ojibway-Jamaican heritage.

Wilson, who is also the founder of advocacy organization The One By One Movement, said he first met the family four years ago when they reached out seeking support for JahVai’s older sister, who was being bullied.

From the young age of six, Wilson said JahVai was a strong advocate against bullying and became the youngest member in a child youth council initiative run by Wilson’s organization.

“Because of the stress that his sister was experiencing, he was very enthusiastic about contributing and learning more about bullying and becoming sort of an ambassador for that in his age group,” Wilson said.

Coun. Frances Nunziata, who represents the neighbourhood where JahVai was killed, said she has been in touch with the boy’s family several times to support them.

“I really can’t get over this. It makes me sick of gun violence and innocent people throughout the city being killed,” she said.

Nunziata said she’s received many emails from community members asking how they can show support, and she’s inviting them to attend Thursday’s vigil and help work on solutions to end gun violence.

“It’s just crazy what’s happening,” Nunziata said. “We’re not even safe in our own homes.”

The vigil is being organized by 20-year-old Tenzin Urgyen, a community member who didn’t know the family before the shooting but said he felt sick to his stomach after hearing the news, and was inspired to take action.

He said he’s since spoken to the boy’s family over the phone to learn more about JahVai and how he can show his support.

One of the things he learned from JahVai’s mom is that her son loved the colour blue. Urgyen said he was inspired to ask community members to wear blue as part of a vigil invitation shared on social media.

“I wanted to honour him, honour the words of the family,” Urgyen said.

He’s expecting about 300 people to attend the vigil, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, police inspectors and many community members.

Wilson said he hopes the deadly shooting acts as a “wake-up call” to spark community and government action against gun violence.

“We don’t want to see another JahVai Roy, ever. So let this be the last. And the only way this can be the last is that we all work together,” Wilson said.

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