

Kayla Goodfield and Codi Wilson, CP24.com





The sister of a 22-year-old man fatally gunned down in the Junction Triangle on Tuesday afternoon said she has been dealing with gun violence for many years and it needs to come to an end.

Jerome Belle was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the area of Randolph and Perth avenues shortly before 3:30 p.m.

He was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries but was later pronounced dead.

Cherelle Kent said her family rushed to the area where they last saw her younger brother after receiving a phone call regarding the incident.

“I was at school actually and his sister called me and I didn’t even know where to go to be honest but we left him here sleeping at 2 p.m. so I thought let me just come here and then before I even got here my mom got here and then everything just kind of went downhill from there,” she said.

Det.-Sgt. Rob North told reporters on Tuesday that the deadly shooting is believed to be a targeted attack.

Kent said she has no idea why anyone would do this.

“If anyone knows let us know or let police know or let someone know – that would be great but I have no idea,” she said while speaking with CTV News Toronto on Wednesday. “Just report it because this gun violence thing is ridiculous – it’s not worth it at the end of the day.”

“I’ve been dealing with gun violence personally for 15 years now and it’s crazy that this morning I had to tell my kids that their uncle was killed.”

Kent said people need to come together to protect these individuals.

“It has to stop. If we don’t stop as a community, it will never stop. There is just no reason why parents need to be burying their own kids, there’s no reason.”

Investigators said they are searching for at least one suspect who was seen wearing a white hooded sweater, which was pulled tightly over his face, in connection with the incident.

North added that the victim was known to police, but said he was not prepared to state “in what specific circumstances.”

Kent described her younger brother as a “very loving and caring” person. She said he was an aspiring rapper, who went by the nickname “Murda.”

“He loved my kids like they were his own kids. He was just a very respectable, loving person.”

The family has planned a vigil to honour Belle at the scene of the shooting on Wednesday, beginning at 8 p.m.

Investigators are asking anyone with dash camera or surveillance video from the area to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Tracy Tong