In the early evening darkness, with the snow falling just after 5:30 on Tuesday evening, women began to gather under the canopy at the foot of the highrise tower at 85 Thorncliffe Park Drive. There were 10 of them at first, standing silently in the cold holding candles.

I asked if any wanted to share their memories and reflections before the vigil that was officially set to begin a half hour later, and was answered with tearful silence. It was understandable.

Under such circumstances, what is there to say?

It was in this building, in an apartment on the third floor, that 43-year-old Zahra Mohamoud Abdille and her two sons, 13-year-old Faris and 8-year-old Zain, were found dead on Saturday, homicide victims. Police have said the case is connected to the death of a man who fell onto the Don Valley Parkway the same day, but will not elaborate on the connection.

In the face of such news, there is sorrow. There is shock. “There are a lot of unanswered questions,” said Nawal Albusaidi of the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, who organized the vigil. “We’re here, really, to stand in unity against violence. To say we’re here as a community to stand together.”

The two boys had been members of the homework club at the Neighbourhood Office for the last two years. As more women, and men, and children joined the vigil, Albusaidi described Faris and Zain: “Happy. Very happy, very happy. Engaged, committed. They had a normal life.” She said both the staff at her organization and the other children attending programs there were traumatized by the news. “We’re mourning the loss of individuals who made a positive contribution to our community,” she says. “We’ve come here to reflect on the friends we’ve lost.”

There were no answers to be had about the nature of the crime to aid that reflection, to help attempts to make sense of events that seem senseless. As the crowd swelled to over 100 people, Staff Sergeant Matt Moyer of 53 Division remarked on the strength and cooperation of the Thorncliffe Park Community in “time and again, rising to the challenge,” and then said the police would share information on their investigation in due time. Right now he said there was nothing to report. In response to specific questions about theories of what might have taken place, he said “The worst thing we can do is start to guess.” He promised everyone that every lead will be followed, “ever crack will be examined,” and thanked everyone for their patience.

The community stood together, holding candles, mostly quietly. Clearly they wanted to do something in response to the trauma. But what can you do?

“You just focus on the good things you remember,” said Julian, a classmate of Faris’ at Westwood Middle School. “He was always positive. Always,” he said of his friend. “I remember we’d be playing soccer and he’d want to be the goalie, and if he couldn’t, he wouldn’t fuss. He’d still have fun.”

That’s how Fillis Paraskevopoulos, who works at William Burgess Elementary School, recalled Faris too—a boy memorable for his skateboard and the big sporty glasses he wore. “He was a fun-loving kid, very popular, and always with the biggest smile.” Smiles were something she recalled about 8-year-old Zain, too, a “silly type,” who was a classmate of Paraskevopoulos’ daughter. When the teacher broke the news, she said, it was “a very sad time.” A photo of Zain’s will remain posted in the classroom for the time being, with the children all allowed to sit in his desk to remember him for five minutes at a time. “When I say it’s a shocker, it’s a very big shocker. They were a very loving family,” she said.

“The community just comes together here. What can we do to help? To help each other?” Paraskevopolous asked. “We’re all left with the unknown? Why did this happen?”

There were no answers Tuesday night. Nothing to say or do that would alter the loss those gathered felt. But everyone who spoke talked of the strength of the Thorncliffe Park community. There was some comfort in that community, huddled together by candlelight.

“We reflect on the positives about this neighbourhood, the strength and the love we have,” Albusaidi said in a brief, mournful speech.

She said Zahra, Faris, and Zain were present in spirit. Addressing them, she said perhaps the only thing that can be said that makes any sense under the circumstances. “We remember you.”

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