Victim’s Cousin, Police, Struggle To Explain Latest Murder
Posted September 7, 2009 5:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Toronto youth worker who spends his life trying to stop gun violence is grieving the loss of a loved one shot to death on the weekend.
Justin Bobb says Toronto’s latest murder victim – 21-year-old Kamal Hercules – was not involved in the world guns and gangs.
“This is not a stereotypical case of a young black man getting shot in the street,” Bobb insisted Monday. “At that point, it leads me to believe that we really have a serious issue in this city … it’s not criminal activity leading to young people’s death, it’s random acts of violence from young people that are estranged.”
Their mothers are sisters and they were raised like brothers. The loss is especially difficult for Bobb, who spends his days battling the kind of violence now causing his family so much pain.
Police say Hercules was hanging out with a friend in front of a 24-hour Rabba Foods when he was approached and shot several times.
“There’s nothing in his past to suggest any explanation for what has happened,” said Toronto Police Det. Kim Gross.
That’s leaving investigators with few leads to follow. Hercules was popular and well-liked in his Esplanade neighborhood, but he was targeted for murder.
“His friend luckily was not targeted for murder, he’s our witness,” Det. Gross continued. “We’re looking for more witnesses, we’re hoping to establish the movements of Kamal before the shooting happened.”
Bobb says his tight-knit family is reeling, having to scrap plans for Hercules’ birthday in two weeks for funeral arrangements.
“Access to guns in the city is clearly on the rise,” Bobb charges. “Crime stats can say what they want, but our young people are dying.”
Meanwhile, as investigators try to figure why Hercules was targeted, they want to remind those in the neighborhood who cared about him that they can get the information to detectives through Crime Stoppers and still remain anonymous.
Call 1-800-222-TIPS if you can help.
