Boy, 15, killed in Mount Dennis shooting on Saturday identified by police

A 15-year-old boy who died following a shooting in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood on Saturday evening has been identified.

Police say the victim was Jahkai Jack, of Toronto.

Police were called to Buttonwood and Verona avenues, just south of Weston Road, shortly after 10 p.m. for reports of gunshots. When they arrived, they found the teen suffering from a gunshot wound.

Paramedics tell CityNews they transported him to a trauma centre with critical life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced dead.

In a release issued Sunday night, police indicated they were looking for at least one suspect but provided no additional description. Police would also not speculate on whether this was a targeted shooting.

“Every time this happens, somebody loses someone they love and care about. It’s pretty harmful and it has a ripple effect on the community,” said Det. Sgt. Phillip Campbell.

“We want to assure them, assure the public that we are dedicating all necessary resources to this investigation to find those responsible.”

Sharon Joseph lives in the area and is a community advocate against gun violence. She was frustrated to learn that another young person’s life had been violently cut short.

“It sickens me. Doing this kind of work, this advocacy work for all these years and think we are getting ahead, and the minute we get one step ahead, we go 10 steps backward,” said Joseph. “It’s not a good feeling. It’s really disturbing, and something needs to be done about it.”