The mother of slain Toronto high school student Zaid Youssef says she knew something was wrong when her son stopped answering texts Monday.
Increasingly frantic as the afternoon wore on, she called multiple times, only to have the calls go unanswered. She later learned of the shooting, and believed her son may have been a witness.
"I didn't have any feeling that something happened to him," Jina Samouie told the Star in an interview Tuesday, surrounded by family members and friends in their modest apartment.
After giving her son's information to police, they confirmed that he was one of the two victims.
"They said your son has passed away," said Samouie, her hoarse voice barely audible.
Youssef — who celebrated his 17th birthday over the weekend — is one of two teens killed in gunfire that erupted midday Monday, outside a North Etobicoke apartment building.
"I didn't know this was the last birthday for my son," Samouie said. "No one loves his mother like my son loved me.
"He prayed to God every day, he didn't hurt anyone, he didn't have bad friends."
The other boy was a 15-year-old student from James Cardinal McGuigan.
The gunfire prompted a wide-scale police ground search and sent four area schools, including Don Bosco, into lockdown mode, a safety measure only taken during serious emergency situations.
Toronto Police don't believe that the shooting was a random act, and are still seeking at least three people of interest. Police arrested a "person of interest" shortly after the shootings Monday, but that person has since been released.
They are now appealing for anyone who knows or saw anything to contact police.
"We have some witnesses that have come forward, but I also know for a fact that there are people who witnessed this who have not come forward to speak with me, so I encourage them to call the homicide squad," said Toronto police Det. Sgt. Peter Trimble.
At lunch hour Tuesday, students at Don Bosco gathered inside to hold a prayer session. Outside, Toronto Catholic District School Board spokesman John Yan told reporters the school would not identify the students killed because police aren't identifying them, in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Lucas Oleniuk / Toronto Star Order this photo
Zaid Yousif's mother, Jina Samouie, is comforted by her friend, Zena Alabedy while her husband, Athir Youssef, grieves beside them on Tuesday. Zaid, who just turned 17-years-old, was fatally shot the day before.
The Star has published Youssef's identity after obtaining permission from his family.
Five grief counsellors have been at Don Bosco and will be there "as long as they are needed."
John Wilhelm, a social worker, told reporters Tuesday that counsellors are on hand and there's a chaplaincy section where students "can go and be reflective, be quiet in prayer and spend some time together."
"Grief is difficult at any stage of a person's life when it is such a tragic loss. Most students will be supportive of each other and be able to talk with each other about their feelings of sadness or anger. Some students will be feeling a loss of a sense of safety."
Inside the school, he says there is a "sense of sadness and loss" and "concerns for their own safety."
He says he doesn't have any information about whether students witnessed the shooting, which Yan said was possible Tuesday morning.
The flag at Bosco is now at half-mast, and flags at all the board's other schools will be lowered.
Shortly before the shooting, witnesses described seeing a fight break out and hearing yelling near Don Bosco. Area resident Michael Snary said he saw a group of what appeared to be mostly students, some in school uniform, running from the school, fighting and heading toward nearby Fairhaven Park.
He heard three shots and saw someone stumble and collapse.
Supt. Ron Taverner later confirmed the two young men killed were not wearing uniforms.
Patricia Marshall, who lives in the complex where the shooting occurred, said she was outside on her balcony when she heard arguing and looked down toward the school.
"The next thing I know . . . everything went off and all hell broke loose," she said. "I hope they catch the people, I really do, because someone's child doesn't go home tonight."
Police would not comment Monday on suggestions the killings occurred after a fight broke out near the schools.
"We're not going to divulge exactly what we're doing right now, but rest assured that we have a number of people here to deal with the situation," Taverner told reporters Monday.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com , text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637)
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