Rappers killed in Queen St. shooting
Drake collaborator shot, bringing to 50 number of T.O. homicides in 2018
The Toronto hip-hop community is in mourning after the deaths of two of its own in a daylight shooting on Queen St. W. on Saturday that had people in the crowded downtown area scrambling for safety.
Police said Sunday that the victims were Jahvante Smart, 21, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, both of Toronto. Though police would not confirm it, various members of the hip-hop community, as well as music publications, reported that the victims were rappers Smoke Dawg and Koba Prime, also known as Kosi.
Toronto superstar Drake shared a photo of himself and Smoke Dawg performing together in an emotional Instagram story post.
“All these gifts and inner lights being extinguished lately is devastating,” he wrote. “I wish peace would wash over our city. So much talent and so many stories we never get to see play out. Rest up Smoke.”
“Smokey is gone, may our prayers follow him to heaven,” tweeted fellow artist Mustafa the Poet.
Jermane Prime, from the group Prime Boys, wrote on Instagram of meeting Kosi in Grade 9 and soon becoming best friends.
“Whatever your definition of a brother for life, that was me and Kosi. From high school basketball games, all ages parties, BBQs around the city, university social gatherings, to traveling together, we did everything together,” he wrote.
“The whole city loved him, the world loved him, I mean naturally loved him. His energy was like no other, he made everyone smile, made people feel happy, he would light any room, no matter how dark it was,” Prime wrote.
“Smoke was instrumental in the rise of current Toronto rap, documenting the struggles of the street life in the city,” said music publication Noisey.
Noisey said Smoke Dawg was part of the collective Halal Gang while Koba Prime was with the collective Prime, and that the two groups would sometimes come together to form Full Circle.
Toronto police said they were called to the area of Queen and Peter Sts. just before 8 p.m. Saturday after reports of multiple shots fired. They found one man without vital signs and later located two other victims, a man and a woman, on the street near Cube nightclub. All were rushed to hospital.
The woman is expected to recover from her injuries.
Speaking to reporters Sunday morning, Mayor John Tory said he’s “damn mad” about the rash of gun violence across the city.
The deaths of Smart and Modekwe brought the number of homicides in Toronto this year to 50 and this weekend marks the second weekend in a row of multiple homicides within a 24-hour period. A man who was stabbed early Sunday in the east end died of his injuries later in the day.
“I’ve talked to Chief (Mark) Saunders this morning and I know they’re hard at work on this (shooting) and some of the other shootings we’ve experienced this year,” Tory said.
He reiterated that Toronto is safe, saying that gangs are “the only ones who pose a threat to the safety of the city.”
Two suspects were seen running north from the Queen St. shooting, police said, and they may have fled the area in either a black SUV or a white car.
Det. Jeff Allington said later that they were not certain of the exact number of suspects they were dealing with. No description has been given of the suspects.
Rui Batista, an employee at the Dr. Martens store across the street from Cube nightclub, said Sunday he heard what sounded like firecrackers shortly before 8 p.m. the night before. He said he went to the front of the store and saw people out on the street running, screaming and diving for cover.
“There’s definitely an adrenalin rush where (you) kind of just like don’t really know what to do,” said Batista, 19, who said he saw two bodies lying on the roadway near the club.
At the Gap, just east of the Dr. Martens store, employee Julia Tu was closing up shop and cleaning at about 8 p.m. Saturday when she said she heard gunshots outside, but initially thought they were fireworks. She said she looked across the street and saw a crowd of people running away from the front of the nightclub.
Tu said it took her a while to realize a shooting had just taken place.
“It’s such a busy street. … It was bright out too, so I just never thought that would happen, ever,” she said.