Teenagers aim to emulate ‘martyred’ gang leader
[These are not gangs, but] basically troubled, misguided, reckless young people choosing negative opportunities. — Anthony Hutchinson of Tyndale University College & Seminary on Scarborough youth violence
When Toronto police targeted the leadership of the Malvern Crew and Galloway Boys gangs with their “Project Pathfinder” in 2004, they were confident they had stemmed the tide of gang violence.
But eight years later, many of the problems in those Scarborough neighbourhoods remain — as evidenced by Monday’s mass shooting that left two dead and two dozen injured. Experts aren’t surprised that youth continue to be caught up in violence. One reason, according to Anthony Hutchinson, is the influence of people like Tyshan Riley — the notorious Galloway Boys gang leader arrested in the 2004 police operation.
“When he was arrested, he was basically martyred,” said Prof. Hutchinson, program chair and department head of the human services program at Tyndale University College & Seminary in North York. “Now they are at the age where they all want to become the next Tyshan.”
Prof. Hutchinson, who has run outreach programs in Scarborough, compares Tyshan Riley with Christopher Coke, the infamous drug dealer in Jamaica who burnished his reputation with locals by sharing a small percentage of his wealth.
“[Tyshan would] have the money, he’d pay for the barbecue, help people buy groceries.”
Prof. Hutchinson believes the people who paid for the food and Hennessy given away at the Danzig Street block party where the shooting occurred are trying to emulate people like Mr. Riley or Christopher Coke.
“[Mr. Riley] became the legend,” he says.
And the emulation goes further. Kids also grow up listening to music by rap artists like Mobb Deep and 2Pac and try to imitate the images they portray, Prof. Hutchinson said. “They’re wannabees.”
John Sawdon believes the issue didn’t really go away after the 2004 crackdown because some charges were dropped and some of the accused have since been released from prison.
“Kids pick that up, [that legacy,] and then carry it on,” said Mr. Sawdon, the executive director of the Canadian Training Institute, which operates programs to help youth leave gangs. “Then you have a whole new generation of people that says, ‘Our neighbourhood is better than yours and we don’t put up with your crap.’ It’s like beating your chest, but the problem is here you’re beating your chest with a gun.”
Or, as Prof. Hutchinson puts it: “You can pull the weeds, but if you don’t clean up the garden, they’re just going to grow back.”
Jam Johnson, a local community leader who runs a program called the Neighbourhood Basketball Association, doesn’t think everyone sees people like Mr. Riley as a role model.
“Not the smart kids. The kids with no guidance will see that. And the kids he might [have dropped] some money on or whatever.”
Mr. Johnson says he had a lot of problems growing up in Montreal, but escaped by moving to Toronto. His basketball program offers everything from entrepreneurial training to fitness and counselling on self-image.
Two of the victims of the Danzig shooting were enrolled in his program, including the deceased Shyanne Charles and another boy who was shot in the hand. He went to visit the latter after the incident on Danzig Street. “How many outreach workers are going to do that?”
Mr. Johnson agrees that the community needs more positive role models. “We’re a community without a head. We’ve got no leadership. Who’s our leader?”
Prof. Hutchinson objects to the groups being classified as gangs. “It’s basically troubled, misguided, reckless young people choosing negative opportunities.” He says that legitimizing them as gangsters is doing a disservice to our society. They are irresponsible youth “who we need to engage and put back on track.”
“They hang out together for protection. It becomes their neighbourhood.”