Community leaders in a North York neighbourhood are issuing a heartfelt plea for unity and an end to gun violence following the tragic shooting death of 8-year-old Jahvai Roy over the weekend.
The young boy was an innocent victim, struck by a stray bullet in an indiscriminate shooting that has left his family and the local community shattered and searching for answers.
“Around the same time last year, something like this happened with a 15-year-old young man (Mario Giddings), and it looks like a deja vu. It’s happening again, and it’s hitting closer to home,” said Destin Bujang, a local community leader, his voice heavy with emotion.
“It’s very difficult to reassure community members or a young person that your friend was sleeping, and got shot in his sleep. I wonder what kind of reassurance I can give them.”
Giddings was a 15-year-old boy who was fatally shot in a North York plaza in the area of Black Creek and Trethewey drives on the evening of Labour Day, Sept. 2, 2024. The shooting occurred just steps away from his apartment building.
The latest shooting tragedy involving the eight-year-old Roy has cast a dark shadow over the neighbourhood, with residents expressing both deep sorrow and growing frustration. Bujang emphasized that the actions of a few individuals do not define the character of the community, which he described as being full of vibrant, hardworking people.
“We get a lot of questions around, like how come you’re not scared to even work around here and do a community barbecue, things like that,” Bujang stated. “I think that is what we need the most at this time as a community. We need to come together.”
Senseless death of a child serves as a painful tipping point for frustrated residents
The call for solidarity was echoed by local officials who are urging residents to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation to bring those responsible to justice. The message being stressed is that community safety is a shared responsibility, and that breaking the silence is a crucial step toward healing and preventing future tragedies.
For many, the senseless death of a child has become a painful tipping point, highlighting the urgent need for both immediate action and long-term solutions to address the root causes of gun violence.
Leaders like Bujang are channelling their grief into a call for proactive engagement, urging residents to support one another and to show a united front against the violence that claimed a young, innocent life.
“We have allocated every possible resource in solving this and bringing this to as successful a conclusion as possible,” said TPS Superintendent Richard Harris. “We can never, ever, replace the void that has been created by the loss of this young and beautiful boy.”
As the investigation continues and a family prepares to mourn the unimaginable loss of their son, the community is left to grapple with how to move forward, united in sorrow and determined to create a safer future for their children.
“There are a lot of talented and educated, excited young people here who want a bright future for themselves,” said Bujang.