Hanes: Montreal youth most affected by rising violence

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Montreal youth should have better things to do than attend the funerals of their dead friends or hold vigils at the scene where one of their schoolmates was shot and killed.

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After the tragic deaths of two 16-year-olds in recent weeks, too many young people in this city have had to spend their time crying, lamenting and trying to make sense of the nonsense.

On Friday, a funeral was held for Jannai Dopwell-Bailey, the 16-year-old who was fatally stabbed outside her Côte-des-Neiges high school last month. He was remembered as a “beautiful soul” who loved rapping and dancing. His family and friends called for justice after a 16-year-old was arrested in his murder.

A vigil in memory of Thomas Trudel was held on Sunday, a week after the 16-year-old was shot dead by any unknown assailant just steps from his home in St-Michel. Remembered as gentle and agreeable, the white balloons were launched into the air by a crowd demanding an end to the gun violence ravaging Montreal.

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The loss of two teenagers, both “too young to die,” will surely mark your friends, classmates, teammates, and acquaintances for the rest of their lives. Along with the death of Meriem Boundaoui, a 15-year-old who was caught in the crossfire of a car shooting in St-Léonard in February, the city has been shocked by the violent deaths of three teenagers this year.

The pain of their families must be impossible to bear. But when a teenager is killed at such a tender age, and when a young man dies so violently, there is a ripple effect that spreads throughout the community.

Something about Trudel’s death struck a chord with public officials. Shortly after the killing, Montreal Police Chief Sylvain Caron and recently re-elected Mayor Valérie Plante showed up at the scene to lay flowers, offer condolences and answer questions from the media. Prime Minister François Legault paid a solo visit to the monument and posted a photo of himself on the site on social media alongside a lament for a city he “no longer recognizes” due to increased crime. Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodríguez spoke at a march for Trudel on Sunday.

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The way Trudel died, shot to death walking home from a park on a Sunday night, has come to symbolize the low point of an increase in gun violence sweeping the city.

But the Dopwell-Bailey murder is no less shocking, painful, and tragic. He may not have been killed by a bullet, but his murder is also symptomatic of the rising tide of violence among young people. He was stabbed during a teenage altercation near his school. A disgusting video later appeared on social media showing masked youth celebrating his death. A 16-year-old has been charged with the murder and has waived his right to bail.

Yet few elected officials have come forward to condemn his death, and the difference in treatment has not gone unnoticed. At his funeral, the devastated Dopwell-Bailey family They said they feel there is a double standard at play .

Weekend, Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy called Legault for not showing sympathy.

“All children are important, regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak or the neighborhood they live in,” he tweeted.

Legault was quick to respond that his intention was to condemn a blatant shooting. In a press conference with Plante on Monday, he added that he never intended to minimize anyone’s pain.

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“When a teenager dies, it is unacceptable, it is incomprehensible,” Legault said.

Plante and Legault pledged to do their part to combat the scourge of crime, investing in community groups working on prevention, fighting street gangs, cracking down on illegal firearms, and lobbying the federal government to ban firearms. Firearms.

But do they have any real power to inhibit the culture of violence that attracts young people and turns them into innocent victims?

Montreal police announced Monday that 14 suspects were arrested and 15 firearms seized during a series of raids in recent days. Among those facing charges are an 18-year-old, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old.

Last week, a 17-year-old was arrested after an attempted kidnapping outside a Laval high school during which a gun was fired. No one was hurt, but it could have turned tragic.

These events reveal both a staggering escalation of violence and a worrying desensitization among young people.

Dopwell-Bailey, Trudel and Boundaoui put names and faces to the devastating aftermath of the real world. His devastated loved ones must now bear the brunt of the heartbreaking consequences.