JahVai Roy is shown in this handout photo provided by the Toronto Police Services. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Toronto Police Services (Mandatory Credit)
Toronto police have charged a teenage boy with first-degree murder and are searching for two more teen suspects 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 by gunfire shot outside his North York apartment building just after midnight on Aug. 16. He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His death reverberated through the community, spurring a candlelit vigil and a rally against gun violence at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square.
"What happened on Aug.16 was a senseless, cowardly act that extinguished the life of a little boy," said Det. Sgt. Jason Davis at a Wednesday morning press conference.
Police said they identified three suspects during their investigation.
The first, a 16-year-old boy who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was arrested Friday with a loaded gun, police said. He faces five firearms charges.
Police have issued Canada-wide warrants for the arrest of two other suspects who were both 17 at the time of the shooting, one of whom has since turned 18.
Investigators received judicial authorization to publicly release the identities of the two suspects, which would ordinarily be withheld under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
"I encourage both these individuals to turn yourselves in to police immediately," Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at the press conference.
The two teenagers are believed to be in Toronto. Police are urging anyone with information about their whereabouts to share it with police.
"If you know where they are and are found to be harbouring them or aiding them in any way, we will investigate and lay charges as appropriate," Demkiw said.
Police were unwilling to share specifics about the shooting at Wednesday's press conference, such as suspected motives and details of events that led up to it. They cited the ongoing investigation and outstanding suspects as barriers to revealing more publicly.
However, Davis said police believe the shooting was planned and premeditated — even if the eight-year-old boy may not have been the intended target — and that is why a first-degree murder charge was laid.
A white Acura vehicle that police requested public assistance in identifying late last month was used during the shooting, investigators confirmed Wednesday, adding that it was found by a Durham police officer and later examined by Toronto police.
The police chief said the city has seen a "dramatic rise" in the number of young people being arrested for firearm charges that is "incredibly concerning."
So far in 2025, police have charged 13 young people in murder investigations, Demkiw said.
"We encourage people to please come forward and take steps to intervene so we can get these guns off the street and prevent these senseless acts of violence," he said.
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Sept. 10, 2025.
°µÍø½ûÇø. All rights reserved.
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