Lecent Ross, 14, died after a shooting in Rexdale on July 9, 2015.
Alicia Jasquith had a message for her community Friday morning: watch your kids, know what they're doing.
"Look at your kids every day, and tell them you love them. Start checking their bags. Know who their friends are, who they're hanging around with every day," said Ms. Jasquith, the mother of Lecent Ross, the 14-year-old who died in July after being shot at a friend's house on Jamestown Crescent in northwest Toronto.
Ms. Jasquith spoke softly at a police press conference announcing two arrests in her daughter's death. Two teenagers face two dozen charges, including manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death.
But her voice found strength as she asked for the public for more information and pleaded with parents to take responsibility for their kids. "Please stop the gun violence," Ms. Jasquith said.
Her plea comes as many in the Rexdale community, where several gun deaths occurred in recent years, are raising awareness of illegal guns that they say are frequently traded through kids, who are eager to impress and can avoid serious punishment if they are caught with them.
Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner confirmed that a 13-year-old boy is facing a manslaughter charge, and an 18-year-old man is facing a charge of negligence causing death. Both also face several firearms-related charges and appeared in court Thursday morning.
The 18-year-old's name is not being released because of connections between the two that could lead to the identification of the minor.
A single bullet from an illegal semi-automatic handgun killed Lecent before 11 a.m. on July 9 while she was visiting a friend.
Her uncle, Troy Amos Ross, said while the arrests don't bring any happiness, it helps knowing somebody has been charged. "It doesn't bring my niece back, or my brother's daughter back. But we are at least content right now that there's charges," he said.
The 18-year-old was charged on 11 counts, including negligence leading to death, seven firearm charges, as well as making a false statement under oath and intending to mislead a police officer. According to court documents filed at the bail hearing, he lied to police July 9, saying the gun was in the house because an acquaintance had brought it there the previous night. He said he thought the acquaintance had brought it back with him, the documents say.
Though police said more charges were possible, John Erickson, the lawyer retained by the youth, said he wasn't "aware of any new charges" and wouldn't speak to the relationship between the suspects. "I can tell you it's our intention to vigorously defend the charges," he said. The two are set to appear again in court Wednesday.
Supt. Taverner did not confirm whether either of the two suspects fired the gun, or whether they were in the room when it went off. A person can theoretically be charged with manslaughter even if they do not fire the gun that kills someone, said Luc Leclair, the lawyer representing Lecent's family. But it's rare. "There's always a combination of actions that I suppose could be possible, but it's a difficult question to answer," Mr. Leclair said.
The row of houses where the incident occurred was quiet Friday afternoon as children walked home from the middle school across the street, hours after police announced the charges. Community pastor Keaton Austin, of the Abundant Life Assembly, slowly drove by with his minivan window down. He was checking up on his community.
"I'm happy there are arrests that occurred," he said. "Now, I'm asking how these two young men got this gun into the house." Mr. Austin has an idea how the .40-calibre Smith & Wesson got in the home, though. "The older guys have to be accountable for these problems here because they are the ones giving the 11-year-olds and the 12-year-olds the guns."
The pastor would like to see more programs for kids in the neighbourhood and, ultimately, increased police presence in Metro Housing all over the GTA.
He's been talking to parents and, "they just want things to be better. They don't like what's going on," he said. "This incident should have never happened."