A 39-year-old Ghanaian man, Adu Boakye, tragically lost his life in a random shooting incident in Canada, as confirmed by the local police.
Boakye, a father of four who had recently moved to Canada three months ago, became one of the two victims in the shooting that occurred in the North York area of northwest Toronto. The incident took place at Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue, where Boakye sustained gunshot wounds, and despite life-saving efforts, he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
In a statement, Detective Phillip Campbell revealed that Boakye and an unnamed 16-year-old boy were shot indiscriminately while waiting for a bus in the same location within 24 hours.
The police emphasized that there is no apparent connection between Boakye and the assailant, urging the public to come forward with any information that could aid in apprehending the perpetrator involved in what is believed to be a gang attack.
Supt. Andy Singh of 31 Division underscored that both victims were “completely and utterly innocent,” which he said is a “big part of what has caused alarm in this community.”
Police set up a command post in the North York neighbourhood the day after the second shooting, as Chief Myron Demkiw pushed people in the community to be vigilant in reporting any suspicious activity.
At this point no arrests have been made, but police did release surveillance images of a suspect on Tuesday in an effort to identify him. He’s described by police as a Black male, between the ages of 18 and 25, with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black coat, white hoodie, black pants, black shoes, a black face covering and possibly a white surgical mask.
Campbell said he is confident the suspect will be identified eventually and said tips from the community will be a key part of the investigation’s success.
“I don’t think it will be difficult,” he said.
