The mother of a 22-year-old man who died in a brazen daytime shooting at a mall in Toronto’s north end is speaking out as officers continue their investigation.
“I can’t just see him just die like that, what they did to him and then they just get away with it,” Althea McDonald told Global News exclusively Friday afternoon.
“How do they sleep at night? I didn’t get any sleep since this happened.”
READ MORE: Man dead after shooting at North York Sheridan Mall
The shooting happened at North York Sheridan Plaza near Jane Street and Wilson Avenue at around 5:20 p.m. Thursday.
Police said on Friday that Jovane Clarke parked his vehicle at the south side parking lot when he was confronted by four suspects. Investigators said at least two of the suspects started shooting and one chased Clarke into the mall. Police said a suspect continued to fire gunshots at Clarke while he was being chased inside the mall.
“He ran for his life as far as I know and I wasn’t even there to help him, and I guess nobody else was there to help him,” McDonald said.
“He just died there like he was nobody’s child. He was somebody’s child and he’s loved by many, and he’s still loved.”
McDonald said her son was at the mall to get tax papers from an accountant and was supposed to pick up his girlfriend before returning home.
“I know after 7 o’clock, he’s always here. I started calling, his phone was off and then I realized something was wrong, so I started getting dressed to go down because I knew there was a shooting in the mall,” she said.
“I never knew it was my own child.”
McDonald said Clarke was the older of two sons and loved drawing. She said he was in the process of applying to college and wanted to study to become a mechanical engineer or aviation technician. McDonald said she’s upset her son died alone in the mall.
“He loved me unconditionally. I’m just recovering because I was sick myself and he was there for me. I don’t need anybody else because he was there for me,” she said.
“That’s the part I will never live up to because he was there for me when I was sick and I wasn’t there for him yesterday when that was happening to him, the way it happened to him.”
READ MORE: Video captures shoppers fleeing during ‘targeted’ fatal shooting inside busy Toronto mall
During a press conference Friday, police said they believe the shooting was targeted. Officers said Clarke was not known to police. Investigators are appealing to the public for information as well as cellphone and dash camera video from those who were in the area around the time of the shooting.
Meanwhile, McDonald said she has a simple message for those involved.
“I just want them to come forward. I want justice to be served.”
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