Police charge another suspect with murder in killing of eight-year-old Toronto boy
Written by The Canadian Press on September 26, 2025
Toronto police say they have charged a second suspect with first-degree murder in the death of an eight-year-old boy who was killed by a stray bullet while in bed last month.
JahVai Roy was struck when gunfire erupted outside his North York apartment building just after midnight on Aug. 16, and he was pronounced dead in hospital.
Police say they identified three suspects during their investigation.
They say the first suspect, a 16-year-old boy who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was arrested earlier this month with a loaded gun and he is facing five firearms charges.
Police issued Canada-wide warrants for the arrests of two other suspects who were both 17 at the time of the shooting.
Police say one of those two suspects was arrested Thursday in London, Ont., and charged with first-degree murder.
A third suspect remains outstanding.
The boy’s death reverberated through the community, spurring a candlelit vigil and a rally against gun violence at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square.
Police haven’t shared details about what may have led to the shooting, but they believe it was planned and premeditated — even if the eight-year-old boy may not have been the intended target.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw has said the city has seen a “dramatic rise” in the number of young people being arrested for firearm charges that is “incredibly concerning.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press