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Photo by handout

Stunned by the loss, Jemmie’s family sat outside on the stoop of their Carlingwood home Saturday morning, consoling each other.

“He was a good kid,” a family member who asked not to be identified said. “To kids in the neighbourhood, he was a role model.”

When he was just eight years old, Jemmie, then a grade 4 student at Connaught Public School, won a competition to design the cover of an annual community report. Students were asked to draw a representation of the word “community.” Jemmie responded by drawing people.

Several family members continued to arrive at the home Saturday.

Police say that the victim was not a gang member, but was known to associate with gang members operating out of the west end of Ottawa, where subsections of Bloods have a stronghold.

Jemmie attended Woodroffe High School and was studying engineering at Algonquin College, his family said. The young man, who went by nickname Jabz online, was of Eritrean descent, liked the HBO show ‘The Wire’ and listened to Nicki Minaj, according to his Facebook profile.

Jemmie lived with his parents in the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation housing complex on Hartleigh Avenue in the west end, a neighbour said.

Major crime detectives are trying to interview any potential witnesses and are seizing video surveillance footage from neighbouring businesses, restaurants and bars on Elgin Street. Police spent the day searching for the alleged murder weapon.

The police had cordoned off most of the block, and seemed to be focusing their attention on a portion of Frank Street Saturday morning.

No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen the altercation or have any other relevant information to contact their major crime unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5493.

Photo by family handout

Photo by family handout

Photo by Ottawa Police

More news to come.

With files from Meghan Hurley

syogaretnam@ottawacitizen.com

gmcgregor@ottawacitizen.com