‘We need your voice’ to help stop Toronto gun violence, Crime Stoppers tell Drake
Posted August 6, 2015 12:44 pm.
Last Updated August 6, 2015 7:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Crime Stoppers is appealing to rapper Drake to help stop gun violence in Toronto in the wake of the deadly shooting at Muzik nightclub earlier this week.
Two people were killed and another three were injured at an after-party for Drake’s OVO Fest at the nightclub on Monday might.
In a tweet, Crime Stoppers called on the Toronto-born artist for a meeting and wrote: “we need your voice to help stop the violence in Toronto,” signing off with the hashtag #NoMoreGuns.
Crime Stoppers is hoping Drake could be the city’s voice and help break the silence by encouraging any potential witnesses to come forward.
Duvel Hibbert, 23, of Brampton was found dead at an outdoor patio at the club while Ariela Navarro-Fenoy, 26, of Toronto, was found near the Dufferin Gates with gunshot wounds and died in hospital.
Almost exactly a year ago, there was another shooting at an OVO Fest after-party. The man survived.
Reports say Drake appeared at Muzik at some point before the shootings, but is not known whether he was at the nightclub at the time of the shooting.
However, seeing as OVO Fest his event, some are wondering why the artist has yet to say something about it.
On Wednesday, CityNews contacted Drake’s representatives at Universal Music, asking if Drake intended to make a statement about the shooting. An email in reply said: “if you are looking to speak to him or his management team, that will not be possible.”
“Through Drake, his voice could break the silence and finally end the “What If …” complex we see in the city,” Sean Sportun, the vice-chair of Crime Stoppers, said in an emailed statement.
Sportun believes the “what if” mentality can start to change if “everyone believed they could make a positive difference in the community.”
The organization is not only appealing to Drake to help officers “stop the violence in Toronto” but also asking the public to call Crime Stoppers if they have any information about the shooting, in the hopes of helping investigators find those responsible.
“What if someone knew how a gun was brought into Muzik or what if someone knew who the shooter is, and that if someone called Crime Stoppers anonymously with that information. What if that anonymous tip was key to getting a murderer off the streets of our city – making it a safer place,” he wrote.
Sportun said “what if” has to stop and “it is time we broke the silence and began making a difference.”
Police are also asking anyone with photos or video from any point in the night to share their footage with police at bit.ly/TPSHomicide.
Crime Stoppers is a civilian, non profit, charitable organization that brings together police services, the media and the community in the fight against crime.
