‘I won’t see him for Mother’s Day’: Family of 26-year-old Toronto homicide victim speak out

Allison Ashley, the mother of Blain Grindley – a man who was killed in a daytime shooting in early May wants her son to be remembered as a fun and loving man who cared deeply about his family and friends.

“He had a light that was contagious in him,” Ashley told Global News.

“Ever since he was a child, I always tell people he was the happiest baby. Growing up, he never had a bad day. He was always smiling and always happy.”

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Grindley was killed in a townhome complex on John Garland Boulevard on May 1.

Officers responded to a call at 1:16 p.m. in the John Garland and Humber College boulevards area. Police said Grindley was unresponsive when crews arrived.

The 26-year-old was pronounced dead on scene.

READ MORE: ‘He was just getting ready to blossom’: Family members speak about Toronto’s latest homicide victim

Just over a week later, Ashley said the events still don’t seem like a reality.

“It doesn’t feel real just yet. It’s like I’m going through the motions and I’m putting one foot in front of the other because that’s what I’m supposed to do,” she said, adding it’s at night when everything sets in.

“At night time when it gets quiet… it seems real – like it’s sinking in – and I’m trying not to think about it because I still don’t want to get to that point to know that I’m never going to see him again.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "At night time when it gets quiet… it seems real - like it's sinking in - and I'm trying not to think about it because I still don't want to get to that point to know that I'm never going to see him again."

The family moved to Canada from Jamaica when Grindley was eight years old and the mother of two said Grindley had plans for the future.

“He wanted to own a house. He wanted a family. We wanted to take a trip this year,” she said, adding that following his death, simple reminders cause her immense pain.

“I was going through my phone and I saw the text he sent me from the last Mother’s Day … I won’t see him for Mother’s Day and I won’t see him for his birthday in a few weeks,” she said.

“There are so many firsts I have to get over.”

WATCH: Week after Blain Gringle’s death, Allison Ashley remembers her son. Erica Vella reports.

2:42 Week after Blain Gringle’s death, mother remembers her son

Police have not released any information on possible suspects involved in Grindley’s murder but his family are asking people with information to come forward.

“If you sit back and allow this to happen knowing you know something that could help bring this person to justice, you not saying anything is you saying it’s okay,” said Dahlia Foster, Grindley’s aunt.

“You’re condoning it.”

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READ MORE: Family of suspected Calgary double homicide victims asks for help: ‘They are so loved’

Both Ashley and Foster said they want the perception around Grindley’s death to change.

“It’s almost like there is no value on a person’s life anymore…I want people to know people to know what happened to him, doesn’t define him. That’s not who he was and that’s not his identity,” Ashley said.

Instead, the family of the 26-year-old say he should be remembered for the joy he brought to both his family and friends.

“He was fun to be around. He was very loving.”