The Toronto bus stop attackers have yet to be arrested

Two months after Adu Boakye was shot and killed three times during a traffic stop at Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue, loved ones say they are still in shock and despair. for justice.

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Richardson Adorsu said. “I hope my friend gets justice for what happened to him and I hope the police do it.”

Boakier was one of two people shot near that intersection in less than 24 hours in February.

The first attack took place on February 16 at around 18:00. A 16-year-old boy, who was waiting for a bus to a volleyball game, was shot in the face and seriously injured. He survived.

Boakier, shot the next afternoon, did not. Investigators said he was shot twice in the stomach. He died in hospital.

SEE | No arrests yet in 2 month case:

Adorsu met Boakye at the airport on November 22 when he first arrived from Ghana. Adorsu says the two dined together that evening and he took the newcomer downtown Toronto and showed him around his new city.

The father of four planned to work in Toronto to support his family back home. Adorsu said Boakye had only been at his new job at the warehouse for three weeks when he was attacked.

According to friends, he would often make video calls to his wife during breaks and try to send money home.

“He was very happy to be here and he loved his family very much,” Adorsu said.

Ghana Community Funeral Planning

Emmanuel Duodu, president of the Ghana-Canadian Association of Ontario, says the community is devastated by the incident. A GoFundMe has been started to help raise money for funeral expenses and Boakier's children.

“We've all been down this road,” he said. “Even so, we came to this country and we love this country. He has only been here for a few months and our community is shocked to hear about such a tragic event.”

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Emmanuel Duodu is the President of the Ghana-Canadian Association of Ontario. He said it was important to rally behind the community and Boakye's family after the attack. (Talia Ricci/CBC)

When a suspect or suspects are still at large, Duodo says there's a sense of unease.

“Next one, who's next?” He said.

Duodo said the community is planning Boakye's funeral and working through logistics to get his family to Toronto in the coming weeks.

The police command post is working and the investigation is underway

Toronto police said a command post has been set up near the Driftwood Community Recreation Center since the shooting. The command post provides advice on injuries.

In February, police said the attacks were carried out randomly by a suspect or suspects. They said the victims did not know each other or the suspect, and were not involved in a gang.

No arrests have been made, but police released a photo of the suspect and linked the attacks to a stolen black Acura found in Hamilton.

The police say they are looking for a thin man aged 18-25. Police said he was last seen wearing a black coat, white hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black shoes, a black face covering and a white surgical mask underneath.

During the attack, members of the public, politicians and police marched in prayer to honor the victims, connect and call for change.

“I thought this story would be closed sooner,” said Anthony Perruzza, Humber River-Black Creek Councilman.

Number. Anthony Perruzza said community input at a roundtable on how to improve safety led to an action plan in March. (Craig Cheevers/CBC)

“Obviously there's going to be some outrage that this man is out there, but the community is coming out; there was security, there was a security assessment, there were several meetings and there were many contacts with the police,” Perruzza said. Society has not been shaken by such armed violence for a long time.

The area around Jane Street and Finch Avenue has seen improvements in community safety in recent years, with police saying last month that gun violence was at a 10-year low in 2023. In March, a round table meeting on armed violence was held in this area. About 30 people attended the meeting, including: Perruca, police officers, housing workers, social workers, city workers and people affected by the use of armed violence.

At the time, Perruzza said some of the community's pressing requests included better information sharing about city programs and how to access them, as well as better lighting in and around the community center, Toronto Public Housing buildings and local streets.

Community engagement to develop more effective outreach programs that connect with youth also remains a priority, he said.

Advocates say more funding is needed for grassroots organizations in the region, as well as more support from government agencies at all levels.

“When you hear what happened anywhere in the city, it's a tragedy. I think the hardest thing is when you hear what happened in Jane and Finch, does it raise these issues around the stigma of violence in society?” said Michelle Dagnino, executive director of the Jane/Finch Community and Family Center.

“For those of us who have lived and worked in the community for decades, this again elevates how we think about society from a place of negative media rather than a place where people can thrive,” Dagnino said.

Adorsu believes Boakye would have thrived if given a chance to settle into his new life in Toronto. She describes her friend as quiet, thoughtful and loving, and says she will miss him.

“I treated him like a brother… and he just wanted to have a good life for his family,” Adorsu said.