If only he hadn’t gone home to change his shoes, Jonathan Davis might have lived, thinks Selma Alincy.

Alincy, a close friend to the family of the 17-year-old killed in a “brazen” shooting at an apartment complex in Mississauga, said Davis was walking to his father’s house minutes before the attack unfolded Saturday evening.

He wanted to be an electrician like his father, Alincy said. Davis would go to his father’s place on weekends and help out with chores and odd jobs.

On Saturday, as Davis walked toward his father’s house, he noticed he was still wearing slippers, and turned home to get shoes, said Alincy, who received a phone call from Davis’s mother following the shooting.

On his way home, when he crossed the parkette behind the apartment complex where he lived, Davis was struck in the head by a bullet. His mother went running to help him, and tried to apply pressure to the wound, Alincy said. Davis died on scene. Five others, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured.

“It’s shocking and heartbreaking,” said Alincy, who ran to the scene of the crime after receiving frantic phone calls from Davis’s mother. “Nobody could have prepared for this. No parent could ever prepare for something like this.”

Davis was known by friends and family as a quiet but friendly teen with a love for video games and an interest in electrical engineering. He was the brother of two younger sisters and one older brother.

A “homebody,” described Alincy. “Someone who helped out around the house.”

Joshua Twa, an 18-year-old student from Lincoln M. Alexander Secondary School who attended classes with Davis, said they met in elementary school. The two were “like family,” he said. They played soccer together at recess and shared a mutual interest in cars. They were looking forward to graduating high school and receiving their diplomas next June.

“He was young. He didn’t get to live his life,” Twa said. “It’s hard not being able to see him everyday anymore. He didn’t deserve this.”

In a letter to students and parents, school principal Alison Irvine described Davis as “a sweet, respectful and good natured student” in the Transportation Technology Specialist High Skills Major program.

Police said Davis was an innocent bystander in an unusual attack. Around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, a group of seven gunmen donning dark outfits and balaclavas reportedly opened fire on a group filming a rap video in the parkette behind the complex. Police said the shooting was sparked by tensions that arose from a previous music video released by the same group.

A 16-year-old boy, two 17-year-old boys, a woman in her 50s and a 13-year-old girl were also struck during an attack. The sister of the 13-year-old said her sister was standing near a window at their home when she was shot in the arm. She was still in the hospital Monday and was expected to undergo surgery.

Police have not publicly identified any suspects.

Alincy was alerted to the shooting by a call from Davis’s mother. “She just screamed ‘Jonathan’ into the phone,” Alincy said.

On Sunday night, Alincy set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the funeral.

“My friend found her son’s lifeless body on the ground outside of her complex,” she wrote on the fundraiser page. “This is something no parent should ever bare witness too. That day will forever remain in her memories.”

He was “a really responsible big brother,” wrote Alincy.

“He often helped his mom with his two younger sisters ... he wasn’t the type to hang out outside, as he found comfort at home playing (video) games.”

“If he didn’t turn back to go into the house ... this wouldn’t have happened,” she wrote.

Alincy hopes to raise $15,000 for the funeral. By Monday evening, over $7,000 had been raised.

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On Monday, flags were lowered at the Malton Community Centre, where Davis was well-known by staff and the centre’s youth engagement team.

“An innocent life cut far too short,” wrote Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie on Twitter. “My thoughts & prayers remain with his family, the victims & the Malton community.”

The Peel District School Board announced that grief counsellors have been attending Lincoln M. Alexander and some of the neighbouring schools to provide support for students.

With files from Mississauga News

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