‘Everyone is shocked’: St. Thomas More students reeling after classmate killed in hit-and-run
The teenage boy killed in a hit-and-run on the west Mountain is being remembered by friends as a happy-go-lucky kid who could make people laugh and smile at the snap of a finger.
He was just always happy and with a big smile," Nathan Melo told The Spectator on Thursday, standing next to a makeshift memorial near the scene of Wednesday's crash at Upper Paradise and Stone Church roads. A really funny guy too."
Even when you were in the saddest mood he'd find a way to make you laugh," added Ibrahim Ibrahim, another buddy.
The 15-year-old victim died in hospital after being struck by someone driving a Dodge Caliber at Upper Paradise and Stone Church, near Kordun Street, around 2:55 p.m., Hamilton police said.
Police allege the person behind the wheel of the Dodge was another 15-year-old boy. He was arrested after fleeing the scene and charged with fail to remain causing death and dangerous driving causing death.
Const. Indy Bharaj told The Spectator that investigators have found nothing to indicate the incident was targeted.
Circumstances could change in the future, but as of right now, this is simply being investigated as a collision," he said.
Both the victim and accused attended St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, which sits about 300 metres from the site of the hit-and-run.
Melo said the final bell had just rung at the Mountain school when he started getting messages on a group chat about someone being struck by a car down the road.
He and his friends raced over to what he said was a chaotic scene, hoping and praying it wasn't a classmate.
There were kids and police everywhere, and (paramedics) were doing CPR on someone who was being put into an ambulance," he said.
Then the tight-knit friends saw what they wish they hadn't - a red Air Jordan 5 shoe on the pavement.
They were his favourite shoes, he loved basketball," said friend Uyl Osa-Igbihosa. He was wearing them that day."
Osa-Igbihosa said his friend - who'd turned 15 a few days ago - was on the way to pick up his little brother from a nearby elementary school before the crash, something he always did."
It was like a normal day," he said.
I was talking to him 20 minutes before it happened, like a see you tomorrow,' kind of thing," added an emotional Gicia Cipriani at the memorial. It's unbelievable this happened. I still can't believe it."
Cipriani said the victim - who was in Grade 9 - was well-liked and well-known throughout St. Thomas More. A really great guy, super uplifting."
He only got here (to the school) a few months ago and everyone already loved him," said student Shenali Shanhoor. That tells you the type of person he was."
St. Thomas More students said the mood at school Thursday was bleak, quiet and emotional. Photos of the victim, as well as a teddy bear and bouquets of flowers, were taped to his locker in a poignant display of grief.
No one's talking, everyone is shocked," said Zenen Galkin, a classmate of the victim.
In an emailed statement, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board said St. Thomas More students and staff are being offered support via its crisis response team, social work department and chaplaincy leaders.
Our entire Catholic school system is united in prayer for the repose of his soul, his family and the St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School community," added board chair Patrick Daly.
Details of the tragic crash remain scarce.
It's unclear, for instance, how and where the teen who was charged got the 2008 Dodge Caliber. Police have said the vehicle wasn't stolen and investigators aren't looking for any more suspects.
The collision reconstruction unit is probing the crash.
Police are asking any witnesses or those with dashcam video of the incident to contact investigators at 905-546-4753.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.
Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com