1708858658 Death of Adu Boakye killed in 39indiscriminate attack39 his family

Death of Adu Boakye, killed in 'indiscriminate attack': his family devastated

Adu Boakye, a 40-year-old man from Ghana, was shot dead last week while waiting for a bus. According to Toronto police, he was the victim of a “random attack.” His widow and four children, who live together in Kumasi, Ghana, are heartbroken.

Police allege that Mr Boakye was attacked by a man traveling in a stolen car who shot him dead in the Jane and Finch area last Saturday. Investigators add that the victim was an innocent person who did not know the suspect. An almost identical attack occurred 24 hours earlier. A teenager was seriously injured.

A portrait of Adu Boakye.1:42

Adu Boakye was killed last Saturday. (Archive)

Photo: Courtesy of Toronto Police

Mr. Boakye immigrated to Toronto in November in hopes of building a better future for himself, his wife and four children who remained in Ghana.

In addition, a rally in honor of the victim was held on Saturday.

The police, for their part, confirmed that the investigation is progressing.

She just cries

Prince Kwadwo Tawiah lives in Toronto. He is a member of the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario [GCAO, Association ghanéenne-canadienne de l’Ontario, traduction libre]. He was on holiday in Ghana when Mr Boakye was killed. When he heard the news, he went to Kumasi to help the victim's family.

Reached via video conference, he attempted to translate a conversation between CBC and Daina Boadi, Mr Boakye's widow. But after a few questions that she didn't answer, Mr. Tewiah gave up. She was just crying, he explained, also upset.

A portrait of Prince Kwadwo Tawiah.

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Prince Kwadwo Tawiah Milo traveled to Kumasi to help the grieving family.

Photo: courtesy of Prince Kwadwo Tawiah

She screams, she cries. She just says, “Who will look after my children? No one to take care of my children!”

Mr Boakye was the sole breadwinner of the family. And now [ces gens sont abandonnés] because of what happened in Canada, said Mr. Kwadwo Tawiah.

It could have been me

In Toronto, GCAO President Emmanuel Duodu organized a rally near the intersection of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue where the victim was killed.

A portrait of Emmanuel Duodu.

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Emmanuel Duodu is the President of the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Ken Townsend

The community is traumatized, it is desperate

For him, coming together is an expression of a sense of community.

We want to ensure that [M. Boakye] will not be forgotten. We want to come together and cry together. […] And we would like to send a message to his wife, his four children – the youngest is 2 years old. […] We want to send the message that even if [les membres de sa famille] can't be here, the community of Toronto, Canada is here for you.

Richardson Adorsu launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the victim's family. He claims to have known Mr Boakye for years. There are four children involved. These funds benefit them.

A portrait of Richardson Adorsu.

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Richardson Adorsu has started a GoFundMe campaign.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Ken Townsend

These funds will also be used to finance the funeral.

The campaign is available on the GoFundMe website.

Mr. Adorsu stressed that Mr. Boakye is not only in Canada to help his children and wife. He is the eighth of nine children. His mother, who adores him, asked him to come [au Canada] so that he helps everyone.

Excavations near Hamilton

On Friday, Toronto police confirmed they had searched a ravine in Stoney Creek near Hamilton for more than five hours. These searches are in connection with the shooting that led to the death of Mr Boakye.

Two police officers search a stream.

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Police searched a ravine near a stream for five hours on Friday.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Paul Smith/CBC

The officers carried out the searches on foot with metal detectors, by drone and by boat. Police wouldn't say what they were looking for, but a black Acura RDX suspected of being involved in the shooting was found abandoned in Hamilton this week.

Police would not say whether a weapon was found.

Two pictures lying next to each other show a man dressed in black.

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The police are still looking for a suspect.

Photo: Courtesy of Toronto Police

They are still looking for a suspect, a black male between the ages of 18 and 25.

With information from CBC's Anam Khan and Lounan Charpentier