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3h ago

Toronto Rallies After 8-Year-Old JahVai Roy Is Killed by a Stray Bullet

Community leaders pressed for curbs on illegal firearms entering the city.

At a vigil for JahVai Roy, there was a table lined with flowers, candles and photos of the eight-year-old boy, who was killed by a stray bullet in his North York apartment building.
Holly Roy, JahVai's mother, on the left.
Community members stop at a vigil in Toronto, on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. Jahvai Roy, 8, was struck and killed by a stray bullet over the weekend.
Holly Roy, the mother of Jahvai Roy, speaks at a vigil in Toronto, on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. 8-year-old Jahvai Roy was struck and killed by a stray bullet over the weekend. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Overview

  • Dozens gathered Friday at Nathan Phillips Square to demand stronger action on gun violence, with organizers from ENAGB circulating a petition and calling for concrete policy steps.
  • Mayor Olivia Chow addressed attendees at both the rally and Thursday’s vigil, urging a crackdown on illegal guns flowing from the United States.
  • A candlelight vigil outside the family’s North York building on Thursday drew hundreds wearing blue, where JahVai’s mother, Holly Roy, asked the city to remember her son and his advocacy against bullying.
  • Toronto police say a bullet fired outside around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 16 pierced the apartment window, also striking two other units; no suspect information or arrests have been announced.
  • JahVai was buried Wednesday on Wikwemikong First Nation, and a GoFundMe has raised more than $76,000–$79,000 for funeral costs, relocation and trauma support as community groups press for measures including bail and youth justice reforms.