‘This is who we are’

An up-and-coming rap artist was one of two people killed in a brazen daylight shooting in Toronto’s bustling entertainment district, police said, marking the latest deaths in a surge of highprofile gun violence on the city’s streets.

Jahvante Smart, 21, also known as Smoke Dawg, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, both of Toronto, succumbed to their injuries from the Saturday night incident, police said in a news release Sunday. The third victim of Saturday’s shooting, a woman who has not been publicly identified, is expected to recover.

Smart’s family and management released a statement Sunday evening saying the young man leaves behind a one-year-old daughter, along with his parents, 13 siblings, friends and “all of the fans his music touched.”

“Jahvante touched the lives of many fans not only in Toronto but around the world,” the family’s statement said.

“Music was able to let him travel the world and chase his dream of becoming a super star.”

The Toronto-born Smart was part of the Halal Gang, a group of four Toronto rappers. Shortly after the shooting, friends, artists and fans — including some prominent fellow musicians — posted their condolences on social media.

Toronto rapper Drake posted a photo of he and Smart performing together with the caption, “Rest up Smoke.” The superstar and Toronto icon also lamented the gun violence that has struck his hometown in recent months.

“All these gifts and blessed souls and inner lights being extinguished lately is devastating,” Drake posted on Instagram.

“I wish peace would wash over our city.”

As Canadians celebrated the country’s birthday on Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on the road highlighting the stand he has taken against the U.S. government’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Speaking in Leamington, Ont., Sunday morning, Trudeau thanked residents and Canadians for always standing up for one another and for Canadian values.

“This is who we are, we’re there for each other in times of difficulty, in times of opportunity. We lean on each other and we stand strong and that’s what we do from coast to coast to coast,” Trudeau said.

The Ontario town is one of three crosscountry stops the prime minister scheduled on Canada Day, and one of two designed to reflect the looming trade war between Canada and the United States.

Trudeau met with workers at a major canning and food processing operation in Leamington, where the tomato paste used in French’s ketchup is made. Later in the day, he visited a major steel refinery in Regina. The two industries are at the heart of the trade dispute.

Trudeau’s counter-tariffs on a range of products took effect on Sunday - a month after the Trump administration slapped duties on U.S. steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other allies.

Canada’s response includes imposing $16.6 billion worth of tariffs on a long list of consumer products that come from a wide range of sectors - from beer kegs, to ballpoint pens, to ketchup. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets people at a Canada Day barbecue in Dawson City, Yukon, on Sunday.

On Friday, Trudeau spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump by telephone, reiterating that Canada has had “no choice” but to take countermeasures against the U.S. tariffs. It appears Trump, too, is not backing down. In an interview that aired Sunday morning, Trump said he will delay signing a revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement until after the U.S. mid-term elections in November in hopes of reaching a better deal.

He said he could quickly sign an agreement with Mexico and Canada, “but I’m not happy with it. I want to make it more fair.”

In the interview on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Trump again threatened to impose

tariffs on imported cars, trucks and auto parts, saying, “The cars are the big ones.” The move has been viewed as a possible negotiating ploy to restart NAFTA talks, which could resume following Sunday’s elections in Mexico. U.S. tariffs on auto imports would be a major blow to Canada’s economy because of the importance of the auto industry plays in the country. The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to hold hearings on auto tariffs in late July and to complete its investigation into auto imports later this summer.

Despite the tense political rhetoric among leaders, Trudeau kept his remarks upbeat and patriotic on Canada Day as he spoke to a crowd in Leamington.