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Several arms shot up. For the unfamiliar, Simm-Smith filled in the gaps. 鈥淗e worked at the community centre 鈥� He was a good guy, a role model, a positive person. He played basketball. He grew up in this neighbourhood, went to school and did all the right things. But he met an unfortunate demise.鈥�

There were questions in the group. Murray, 27, was killed in a shooting the preceding Saturday, and some of the kids wanted to know why. Simm-Smith didn鈥檛 have the answers: 鈥淚t was random,鈥� he told them. One teen chimed in that Murray was a really nice guy; Simm-Smith agreed. 鈥淵eah, he was an awesome, cool guy, and I really felt his loss. I鈥檓 sure some of you might feel the same way,鈥� he said.

He reminded the group their coaches were there if they wanted to talk. But for Friday evening, what they鈥檇 do was hold a moment of silence before an exhibition game, which anyone in the neighbourhood could join. As they paused, with each teen taking a knee, a stillness washed over the illuminated field.

If any kids were grieving, Simm-Smith wanted them to know they weren鈥檛 alone. He was still dealing with the news himself. He told the Star Murray had come to see them play just a week earlier. And in the aftermath of Saturday鈥檚 violence, with the death of someone so closely tied to the area鈥檚 youngest residents, he鈥檚 one of many left worrying about the generational wounds of persistent gunfire.

Regent Park is not the only 海角社区官网neighbourhood grappling with the murder of a beloved mentor, either. Earlier this month, well-known mentor Sam Boakye, 30, was shot dead in the Jane and Finch area. Investigators believe neither man was targeted, but that the attacks may have been on their communities.

Ines Garcia is seeing the immediate ripples in Regent Park. She works in a local school, and, in the days that trailed Murray鈥檚 death, was approached by a boy around 13, who said he鈥檇 thought of Murray as an older brother. Unsure of what else to do, Garcia asked if she could give the boy a hug; both wept.

鈥淢y heart really poured out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n these times, we feel hopeless, like we can鈥檛 even help.鈥�

It was more than an isolated event, she said. It was the constant thrum of gunfire in Regent Park that she worries is weighing on kids and teenagers in the area. The eastern edge of Regent Park has long been a hot spot for gun violence, police records of reported shootings between 2004 and 2020 show. Those hot spots include the corner of Oak and River streets, one block from where Murray was killed.

鈥淵ou see your kids 鈥� and community members鈥� kids 鈥� going through this all the time, the trauma after trauma. It never gets fixed. It never gets to heal properly,鈥� Garcia said, noting some youth just stopped talking about it. 鈥淚t heals a little bit, but then something happens, and the wound is open again.鈥�

Following Murray鈥檚 death, one teen who knew him through the community centre 鈥� and saw the 27-year-old as a role model 鈥� suggested to the Star that such violence was expected in Regent Park. 鈥淚n this neighbourhood, things like this happen usually,鈥� Adnaan, 14, said. 鈥淚 was just thinking why.鈥�

Many people who spoke with the Star pointed out how many young people in the community had relationships with Murray, and would likely be affected by his death. 鈥淥ne thing about Thane is that he knew everybody in the neighbourhood 鈥� every kid, every teenager, old or young,鈥� Simm-Smith said.

He worries that Saturday鈥檚 shooting will shake those kids鈥� sense of safety and make their home feel like a 鈥渓ost cause.鈥� 鈥淚t has to affect you, just growing up and knowing people that are shot and killed.鈥�

Metuge Mtongwe, whose 13-year-old son was on the field for the Friday evening match, said he鈥檇 been trying to monitor the young teen鈥檚 activities more than usual. 鈥淚f he鈥檚 here, OK, he鈥檚 free to be here, but I don鈥檛 want him just hanging around, because I don鈥檛 know what will happen there,鈥� Mtongwe said.

鈥淚 have to 鈥� because I don鈥檛 want him to be a number. I don鈥檛 want my child to be a number.鈥�

Rev. Sky Starr, a Jane and Finch-based therapist and founder of a peer support program aimed at supporting women in communities impacted by the deaths of young Black men, told the Star that her research has found at least 130 people are affected by the death of one young person, though anecdotally she thinks that number can be much higher.

For youth, grief is compounded by the fact that they are at such an important developmental stage, socially and emotionally; research has shown young people affected by the homicide of a friend are especially impacted because the death is violent and unexpected. Starr said what young people need in these situations is support.

鈥淚 think they need to know that people care about them. Because a lot of the youth, when people continuously die, they feel that nobody cares 鈥� the government doesn鈥檛 care, the community doesn鈥檛 care, 鈥榳ho cares?鈥� Because it鈥檚 consistently happening,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we have not adequately done enough to find ways to prevent it. And it is preventable: Violence is preventable.鈥�

Deaths of community members like Murray or Boakye also risk sending a warped message to youth that it鈥檚 dangerous to be unarmed, said Zya Brown, founder and executive director of Toronto鈥檚 Think 2wice, a group that supports incarcerated youth and victims of gun violence.

In the aftermath of Boakye鈥檚 death this month, Brown said she got 鈥渟o many messages鈥� from fearful young people, saying: 鈥淭his is why I don鈥檛 want to change my life.鈥� Their thinking was that if Boakye had been armed, he might have been able to protect himself, she said.

鈥淣ow, in the minds of the youth, nobody is going to want to put down their gun,鈥� Brown said.

She also noted that the high number of shots fired 鈥� in Murray鈥檚 case, police found more than 50 shell casings 鈥� is something she鈥檚 never seen before. That level of violence targets an entire neighbourhood, and the impacts spill out, she said. 鈥淲ith that, you鈥檙e putting the whole community on guard.鈥�

Simms-Smith grew up in Regent Park himself, decades ago. He remembers being faced with loss back then 鈥� some distant names, some closer to home. But he believes last Saturday鈥檚 shooting was especially frightening, and thinks it would be helpful to make counsellors available for any kids who wanted to talk.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how many would be receptive to it, but I know for a fact there are some kids that would benefit,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are a couple kids that it would really bother them for a while. I guess one way to deal with it is to not think about it 鈥� to put it out of your head until the next shooting happens.鈥�

Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents the area, says crisis teams were working in the neighbourhood in the days following the shooting, and that social workers were brought into the schools. But she also worried about what happens long-term when emergency supports recede.

To Mtongwe, the longevity of support is what matters. 鈥淚 think counselling is good, but if it鈥檚 going to be a one-time thing, we need to have role models around here,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat T鈥檃i is doing 鈥� I mean, that makes a difference. They try to give kids hope. They try to build a generation of people moving forward. If you bring in counsellors, and they counsel or advise them and then they leave, what鈥檚 next?鈥�

The idea should be cut violence off at the root, he said, suggesting that more youth programs like the soccer team to keep kids engaged. 鈥淗ow do you stay out of trouble? Stop it before it happens,鈥� he said.

For now, in Regent Park, many are simply grappling with the absence Murray leaves behind.

鈥淲hen I picture him right now, I picture him interacting with the kids,鈥� Simm-Smith said. 鈥淧laying basketball, giving 鈥檈m high fives, fist bumps 鈥� just talking with the kids, being a mentor, being a leader.鈥�

Victoria Gibson is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering affordable housing. Reach her via email: victoriagibson@thestar.ca