Breathing heavily and filled with emotion, the mother of JahVai Roy says she is feeling “indescribable” pain after losing her youngest child to gun violence.
JahVai died on Aug. 16 after being struck by a stray bullet in his North York home while in bed next to his mom. The shooter or shooters are still outstanding and police have not released any descriptive details about them at this time.
Police search, JahVai Roy Toronto police continue to search for those responsible for the fatal shooting of eight-year-old JahVai Roy on Aug. 16 in North York. (child’s photo Supplied)
A traditional funeral service and burial took place on Manitoulin Island on Wednesday.
During a brief interview outside her apartment building prior to a community vigil for her son, Holly Roy told CTV News Toronto she’s still very much in disbelief following the tragedy that has struck her family.
“It doesn’t feel real. I know it’s real but I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what the rest of my life is going to look like,” she said.
“But I have so much gratitude for all the support from the city, from my community, my family, and my friends. I’m very surrounded by love right now so it’s keeping me present. I’m here and I need to be the voice for my little guy.”
Roy previously said she wants JahVai’s name to be a “beacon,” reiterating that she doesn’t want anyone to forget it.
“He was such sweet energy. He was so good. He really advocated for violence prevention, you know, and I’m trying to wrap my mind around this,” she said late Thursday afternoon.
JahVai Roy JahVai Roy, 8, was fatally struck by a stray bullet in his North York Home on Aug. 16. (Island Funeral Home/photo)
Roy said she’s long advocated for violence prevention, adding that her own family has been personally touched by it.
“For years, (JahVai’s) witnessed a lot of trauma in his little life. His brother is a survivor of gun violence. His sister’s been threatened by gun violence,” she shared.
“He’s just always been uplifting, you know, like trying to bring the good energy in our home and, like, you know, make everything okay.”
Roy said her son was an adventurous kid who was loved by many. She said his love language was “loud.”
“He was very full of love. You know, he’s very comforting. He’s very comforting,” she said, sharing how her son loved animals, especially snakes.
Roy said her favourite memory of JahVai is when they were up on the Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island, where’s she from, and he snuck a frog and a snake into her sister’s house.
“He’s just always been very active, very energetic,” she smiled.
JahVai, she said, was most at home up on the reserve, calling it “his sanctuary, his space.”
“He cried every time he had to come back to the city. He was free. You know, he wanted to be free if we were in the city,” Roy said, remembering JahVai as a fearless kid who would always be seen climbing a tree.
JahVai Roy JahVai Roy, 8, is Toronto’s 26th homicide victim of 2025. (Toronto police handout/supplied)
Aside from being a free-spirited boy, JahVai was also an anti-violence advocate, his mom said.
Two years ago, he’d been featured in an anti-bullying video created by the One by One Movement in which he urged people to “be nice.”
“(JahVai) was the youngest member of the One by One Movement. They’ve been very supportive of my family. … It’s unfortunate that we’re here now, like, you know, that’s what he wanted to do. He just wanted to bring people together. It shouldn’t have happened to him.”
Roy went on to say that she shouldn’t be here now grieving the death of her young boy to gun violence.
“I’ve been through this and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around (it) because I’ve been in community, advocating against gun violence, community violence. I’ve been giving resources, you know, I’ve been living this, and to have my baby taken from me so violently, I can’t get my mind around it,” she said.
JahVai’s mother said she’s found some comfort in the deep connections she has to her Indigenous culture and believes that her son’s spirit will always remain with her and take care of her. She also said that she has two other children who need their mother.
“We need to come together. We need to make a change. This shouldn’t happen to anybody,” Roy said, vowing to make a big change in her son’s honour.
Community vigil held for JahVai in North York
A candlelight vigil for JahVai got underway on Thursday at 5 p.m. outside the family’s home on Martha Eaton Way, near Trethewey Drive.
The gathering was put together by 20-year-old community organizer Tenzin Urgyen with the support of the boy’s family.
A rally against gun violence has also been organized for Friday from 10 a.m. to noon outside Toronto City Hall at 100 Queen St. W.
A community town hall on gun violence in Youth South-Weston is also set to take place in September with Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw.