Jane Creba
Encyclopedia
The Boxing Day
shooting was a Canadian
gang-related shooting which occurred on December 26, 2005 on Toronto
's Yonge Street
, resulting in the death of 15-year-old student Jane Creba. Six other bystanders—four men and two women, were wounded. The incident took place on one of Toronto's most crowded streets on the very busy shopping day, just a few blocks north of the Toronto Eaton Centre
. The story generated national news coverage in Canada and influenced the then-underway 2006 federal election
campaign on the issues of gun crime
and street violence.
Jane Creba
(May 13, 1990 – December 26, 2005), a Grade 10 student at Riverdale Collegiate Institute
, was killed in the incident. While shopping with her sister, she was exiting Pizza Pizza on the west side of the street, when the gunfight erupted. One bullet passed through her upper torso, lodging in her clothing; it was later recovered in hospital. She was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital
and died during emergency surgery.
subway station within an hour after the shooting: Andrew Thompson, 20, who was on probation at the time and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, 17. Thompson had been released just before Christmas from Maplehurst prison near Milton, Ontario
, where he had served 30 days for his role in a convenience-store robbery
. He declined a bail
hearing for his current charges. Police believe as many as 10 to 15 people were involved in the shooting and that more than one gun was fired.
detectives were assigned to "Project Green Apple" (named after her favourite food) to work on the case. On June 13, 2006, Toronto Police conducted multiple raids at 14 locations throughout Toronto in the early morning, arresting six men and two teenagers. Charges laid against them included manslaughter
, second-degree murder, and attempted murder
relating to the six other by-standers. All arrested are members of two different street gangs.
In October 2007 a young man who was rounded up in the initial arrests, Eric Boateng, was shot dead in a seemingly unconnected incident. Boateng was not charged with the shooting, but was later charged with cocaine trafficking.
As of December 2007, ten people have been charged with murder or manslaughter in the case, three of whom are youths. Those charged with second-degree murder include Tyshaun Barnett and Louis Woodcock, both 19, Jeremiah Valentine, 24, and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, who was 17 at the time of the shootings. One of the teenagers who was arrested in June and charged with manslaughter was exonerated on October 25, 2007 after the preliminary hearing
. The teenager charged with murder was committed to trial.
On December 7, 2008, Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, previously known as JSR due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act
's non-disclosure of identities of minors, was convicted by a jury of murder in the second degree. In April 2009, he was sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years.
In March 2009, British resident Dorian Wallace was arrested in London
. Canadian authorities have requested his extradition
to Canada so that he may be charged with manslaughter for Creba's death.
In November 2009, manslaughter charges against four individuals involved in the incident were dropped because the prosecutors "felt there were no reasonable prospects for conviction". The four were alleged by prosecutors to have had a "common unlawful purpose" in the incident, but did not fire a weapon.
In December 2009, one decliner, 27-year-old Jeremiah Valentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Creba's death and was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years. And in April 2010, a jury found Louis Woodcock, 23, and Tyshaun Barnett, 22, guilty of manslaughter in the 15-year-old's death, but not guilty of the more serious offense of second-degree murder. They were also found guilty of four counts each of aggravated assault, relating to other people who were wounded by stray bullets that day. The sentencing is set for April 22.
s and a city record 52 shooting deaths. Only one month earlier on November 18, 2005, Amon Beckles was killed outside the sanctuary of a church while attending the funeral of his friend, Jamal Hemmings, whose shooting death he may have witnessed a week earlier, on Eglinton Avenue
between Oakwood and Marlee Avenues in the Eglinton West
neighbourhood in the former city of York
.
Some saw Creba's death as a sign of the beginnings of a big-city crime problem in Toronto. The incident was yet another example that led to 2005 being labeled by both the media and police as the year of the gun. Detective Sergeant Savas Kyriacou of the Toronto Police Service
spoke for these people in saying, "Toronto has finally lost its innocence. I think we're going to feel this day for a long time to come." At the same time, Toronto continues to have a lower violent crime rate than similarly-sized American cities, and on a per capita basis, it is on par with other Canadian cities.
Creba's death has also caused much controversy over the causes of gun crime and the ways to handle the problem, and over race. Also controversial is resurgence of the Guardian Angels
in Toronto; they arrived in mid-January to visit the city. Toronto street patrols began in July; however, the chapter had run into financial difficulties by September 2006.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
shooting was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
gang-related shooting which occurred on December 26, 2005 on Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
, resulting in the death of 15-year-old student Jane Creba. Six other bystanders—four men and two women, were wounded. The incident took place on one of Toronto's most crowded streets on the very busy shopping day, just a few blocks north of the Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
. The story generated national news coverage in Canada and influenced the then-underway 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
campaign on the issues of gun crime
Gun violence
Gun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
and street violence.
Fatality
Jane Creba
The Boxing Day shooting was a Canadian gang-related shooting which occurred on December 26, 2005 on Toronto's Yonge Street, resulting in the death of 15-year-old student Jane Creba. Six other bystanders—four men and two women, were wounded. The incident took place on one of Toronto's most crowded...
(May 13, 1990 – December 26, 2005), a Grade 10 student at Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Riverdale Collegiate Institute is a high school located at Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1907 and was at that time on the outskirts of the city. It was extensively renovated in the 1990s but the original facade was maintained. It is the academic school for lower east end Toronto.On...
, was killed in the incident. While shopping with her sister, she was exiting Pizza Pizza on the west side of the street, when the gunfight erupted. One bullet passed through her upper torso, lodging in her clothing; it was later recovered in hospital. She was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital
St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto)
St. Michael's Hospital is a teaching hospital and medical centre in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was established by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1892, with the founding goal of taking care of the sick and poor of Toronto's inner city. The hospital provides tertiary and quaternary services...
and died during emergency surgery.
Initial arrests
Police arrested two men on several gun charges at Castle FrankCastle Frank (TTC)
Castle Frank is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 600 Bloor Street East at Castle Frank Road, near the former location of Viaduct streetcar loop, which was the longtime terminus of the Parliament streetcar.-Entrances:*The main entrance to...
subway station within an hour after the shooting: Andrew Thompson, 20, who was on probation at the time and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, 17. Thompson had been released just before Christmas from Maplehurst prison near Milton, Ontario
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, where he had served 30 days for his role in a convenience-store robbery
Convenience store crime
For a variety of reasons, convenience stores are often very popular targets for a variety of crimes, most notably shoplifting and robbery. In some cities, convenience store crime has become such a problem that special task forces have been created or some stores have been completely shut down.The...
. He declined a bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
hearing for his current charges. Police believe as many as 10 to 15 people were involved in the shooting and that more than one gun was fired.
Later arrests and convictions
Twenty Toronto PoliceToronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
detectives were assigned to "Project Green Apple" (named after her favourite food) to work on the case. On June 13, 2006, Toronto Police conducted multiple raids at 14 locations throughout Toronto in the early morning, arresting six men and two teenagers. Charges laid against them included manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
, second-degree murder, and attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
relating to the six other by-standers. All arrested are members of two different street gangs.
In October 2007 a young man who was rounded up in the initial arrests, Eric Boateng, was shot dead in a seemingly unconnected incident. Boateng was not charged with the shooting, but was later charged with cocaine trafficking.
As of December 2007, ten people have been charged with murder or manslaughter in the case, three of whom are youths. Those charged with second-degree murder include Tyshaun Barnett and Louis Woodcock, both 19, Jeremiah Valentine, 24, and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, who was 17 at the time of the shootings. One of the teenagers who was arrested in June and charged with manslaughter was exonerated on October 25, 2007 after the preliminary hearing
Preliminary hearing
Within some criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing is a proceeding, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecutor, to determine whether there is enough evidence to require a trial...
. The teenager charged with murder was committed to trial.
On December 7, 2008, Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, previously known as JSR due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act
Youth Criminal Justice Act
Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act is a Canadian statute, which came into effect on April 1, 2003. It covers the prosecution of youths for criminal offences...
's non-disclosure of identities of minors, was convicted by a jury of murder in the second degree. In April 2009, he was sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years.
In March 2009, British resident Dorian Wallace was arrested in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Canadian authorities have requested his extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to Canada so that he may be charged with manslaughter for Creba's death.
In November 2009, manslaughter charges against four individuals involved in the incident were dropped because the prosecutors "felt there were no reasonable prospects for conviction". The four were alleged by prosecutors to have had a "common unlawful purpose" in the incident, but did not fire a weapon.
In December 2009, one decliner, 27-year-old Jeremiah Valentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Creba's death and was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years. And in April 2010, a jury found Louis Woodcock, 23, and Tyshaun Barnett, 22, guilty of manslaughter in the 15-year-old's death, but not guilty of the more serious offense of second-degree murder. They were also found guilty of four counts each of aggravated assault, relating to other people who were wounded by stray bullets that day. The sentencing is set for April 22.
Media coverage and community impact
The Boxing Day Shooting was the subject of intense media coverage, particularly after a year in which the city of Toronto recorded 80 homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s and a city record 52 shooting deaths. Only one month earlier on November 18, 2005, Amon Beckles was killed outside the sanctuary of a church while attending the funeral of his friend, Jamal Hemmings, whose shooting death he may have witnessed a week earlier, on Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs...
between Oakwood and Marlee Avenues in the Eglinton West
Eglinton West
Eglinton West, also known as Little Jamaica, is a neighbourhood and retail district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada situated along Eglinton Avenue West from Allen Road to Keele Street, in the former borough of York. There are a large number of Jamaican businesses along this strip. There are also...
neighbourhood in the former city of York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
.
Some saw Creba's death as a sign of the beginnings of a big-city crime problem in Toronto. The incident was yet another example that led to 2005 being labeled by both the media and police as the year of the gun. Detective Sergeant Savas Kyriacou of the Toronto Police Service
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
spoke for these people in saying, "Toronto has finally lost its innocence. I think we're going to feel this day for a long time to come." At the same time, Toronto continues to have a lower violent crime rate than similarly-sized American cities, and on a per capita basis, it is on par with other Canadian cities.
Creba's death has also caused much controversy over the causes of gun crime and the ways to handle the problem, and over race. Also controversial is resurgence of the Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization of unarmed citizen crime patrollers. The Guardian Angels organization was founded February 13, 1979 in New York City by Curtis Sliwa and has chapters in 15 countries and 144 cities around the world.Sliwa originally created the...
in Toronto; they arrived in mid-January to visit the city. Toronto street patrols began in July; however, the chapter had run into financial difficulties by September 2006.
External links
- Fourth murder suspect charged in Creba shooting, Globe and Mail, November 8, 2006
- Slain teenager veered blithely into crossfire, Globe and Mail, December 27, 2005
- Family of slain Toronto teen remembers their 'bright light', CBC NewsCBC NewsCBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
, December 29, 2005 - T.O. shootings take city's 'innocence': Officer, CTV NewsCTV NewsCTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
, December 28, 2005 - Boxing Day shooting suspect declines bail, CTV NewsCTV NewsCTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
, January 13, 2006 - Video of possible Creba shooting witness released, CTV NewsCTV NewsCTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
, March 15, 2006