Candlelight vigil held for Toronto school shooting victim
A vigil held Thursday night for the 15-year-old Toronto boy killed in a shooting at his high school this week was marked with anger and resentment by some mourners that schools in the city don't have better security.
Laureen Small, the teen's mother, held up a portrait of her son, while other mourners held candles and roses. A table set up near the school was quickly covered with bouquets of flowers.
The crowd stood silently as relatives of the boy arrivedfor thesunset vigil. His mother wept openly and loudly, on one occasion screaming to the crowd: "Who killed my son?"
The event started with tributes from the family and music. Family members stood and asked those in the crowd to help put an end to violence in the community.
The crowd remained quiet and sombre until Mayor David Miller arrived.Some mourners told him the shootingis proof that governments aren't paying attention to their problems.
"I came here to offer my support," one woman told CBC News. "I don't know why the cameras aren't in the school."
A former C.W Jefferys student who wouldn't give his name said he is impressed that Miller came out to pay his respects, but the mayor needs to know things are getting worse in his North York neighbourhood.
The mayor told the crowd that the gun violence has to stop, echoing comments from provincial politicians who have called on Ottawa to get tough on handguns.
"The first thing we have to do is we have to get serious about guns," he said. "Guns kill people."
The coroner's office confirmed on Thursday that Manners, who turned 15 last Friday, was killed with one gunshot to the chest. He was taken from an area near the school's swimming pool to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, where he was pronounced dead.
Reports indicate there was a fight outside and that Manners was followed into the school. Police are still searching for the suspect.
Classes were cancelled on Friday, but the school will remain open to allow students to visit grief counsellors. So far, 300 of the school's 850 students have seen a counsellor.