WATCH ABOVE: More than 700 mourners packed a Brampton church to say goodbye to 18-year-old Jeremy Cook, who was fatally shot after tracking his cell phone in London. Cook is being remembered as an exceptional young man with a promising future, while police continue to search for the suspects in his death. Lama Nicolas has the story.
Family and friends remembered Jeremy Cook as an “incredible kid” at a funeral service on Monday for the 18-year-old Brampton man fatally shot in London, Ont. on June 14 after an alleged dispute over a lost cellphone.
“He was an incredible kid that had a lot going for him and he had a promising life but unfortunately it was taken from him,” said Larry Mintoff, Cook’s great-uncle.
“He’ll be remembered just for being a wonderful son and brother to his brother Daniel and his sister Kayla.”
Cook was fatally shot on June 14 after he left his cellphone in a taxi cab and electronically tracked it to a parking lot at 1181 Highbury Ave. North in London.
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“In the midst of dealing with the painful loss of Jeremy, we’ve been strengthened by the tremendous outpouring of support and sympathy from so many people over the past last week,” said family friend Maureen DiIorio.
London Police have issued a second degree murder warrant for 23-year-old Muhab Sultan of Calgary, and police also want to talk to two other suspects in connection with the shooting.
Mintoff described the circumstances of Cook’s death as “survival mode” and said that the story had taken on a life of its own.
“It’s been so overwhelming certainly for his parents, not that’s been sensationalized, but it’s gone beyond Jeremy now – it became kind of like a life lesson or teachable moment,” he said.
“I hope something good comes out of this for parents, teaching their kids, kids being aware of things.”
Mary Ples, Cook’s Grade 7 and 8 elementary school teacher, said Cook was an energetic, passionate student.
READ MORE: Teen fatally shot in London, Ont. after tracking lost cellphone
“He was amazing, always with a big smile on his face, really athletic, gung ho for everything – he was a great kid,” she said.
“It’s just so hard for all of the students because it’s not fair, he was robbed of a life.”
Police said the suspects and Cook were not known to each other, and that Cook was not known to London Police.
“I can’t believe it, just can’t believe it but they will get him,” said mourner Edward Yasney in reference to Sultan.
“He’ll spend the rest of his life thinking about the heinous crime he committed and the life he took.”
*With files from Lama Nicolas
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