African-Canadian leaders in Toronto meet today to discuss recent gun violence
July 19, 2012 - 4:00 AM
TORONTO - Leaders of the African-Canadian community in Toronto gather today to speak out against gun violence in the city and how to prevent it from happening again.
The meeting comes as an east-end neighbourhood mourns the shooting deaths of two young people on Monday during a block party at a social housing complex.
Organizers of today’s meeting say they want to ensure the focus remains on increased community building to resolve the issue as opposed to increased policing.
Mayor Rob Ford will meet with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Police Chief Bill Blair next week to discuss ways to prevent similar violent incidents in the future.
Some residents in the area where the shootings occurred expressed frustrations Wednesday that it took a hail of bullets to draw attention to their struggles.
At the same time, authorities vowed to track down those responsible for the brazen public shootout that also left 23 people injured.
The incident — which killed 14-year-old Shyanne Charles and 23-year-old Joshua Yasay — has sparked fears of American-style gun wars.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012