Family, friends mourn teen killed in Vaughan collision
More than $73K has been raised to help support mom
When David Shirinian hugged his mother, it was never a quick squeeze and go. The 16-year-old would hold her firmly, in an embrace that would last minutes.
“That’s the thing I’m going to miss the most — his hugs were the best hugs ever,” Sabrina Shirinian said in an interview on her front porch in Vaughan, days after her son was killed in a collision on his way home from a friend’s house.
“All I had to do was open my arms, and he would come,” she said.
David was riding his mini bike through a Woodbridge neighbourhood around 10:45 p.m. last Tuesday when the driver of a vehicle allegedly struck him at an intersection near Martin Grove Road and Jackman Crescent, according to York Regional Police. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The community has been struggling to come to terms with David’s death.
Residents and close friends have helped raise more than $73,000 to support his mother and sister —
David’s father died in 2019 — and are adding to a makeshift memorial at the crash site each day.
“This has had a massive impact on the community. It’s so tragic,” said Lindsay Korbis, a family friend who created the GoFundMe page and whose son, Cyrus, was close friends with David. The boys had known each other since Grade 4, attended the same high school and worked part-time at a local No Frills grocery store.
David was thrilled about his first job, said his mom, Sabrina. A stock boy, he ensured he always had a box cutter on him — “it was like his badge,” she said.
Ava, his younger sister, felt envious when he landed the gig because she also wanted to earn money, so the two brokered a deal: Ava would prepare food for David, and he would compensate her with $5.
“She would make him food even at 3 a.m. if he were hungry,” Sabrina said.
Ava even told her this past week: “Who am I going to warm up food for?”
David lit up any room with his smile and humour. “He was like sunshine,” Sabrina said.
As a Grade 10 student at Holy Cross Catholic Academy, he enjoyed studying history and science more than other subjects.
Outside of class and work, he spent most of his time with friends in his garage, where they’d fix their bikes before going for a ride, watch movies and decide what to eat — the outcome often being sushi.
A California sushi roll pack is part of the makeshift memorial at the crash site. Among the other items are colourful flowers, candles, rosaries, notes with prayers and tributes and a pamphlet with pictures of David riding his bike.
Evleen Azar, whose son Luca is close friends with David, was among the people who gathered around the memorial Saturday evening to pay their respects.
“He was such a nice boy, so respectful and responsible,” she said, adding she treated him like a son, having known him for so many years.
Many of David’s friends live minutes away from the intersection of Martin Grove Road and Forest Drive, near where he died.
The neighbourhood has several four-way stops, pedestrian crosswalks and signs warning motorists to be mindful of their speed near the local community centre and school. The posted speed limit on Martin Grove Road is 50 kilometres an hour until Forest Drive, then changes to 40 km/h on a stretch of the road after the intersection.
Harnoor Chauhan, a 24-year-old man from Vaughan, has been charged with dangerous operation causing death, failing to stop after an accident causing death and possession of a controlled substance.
Court documents show police laid additional drug- and gun-related charges against him two days after he was arrested, including possession of a loaded firearm without a licence and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. Chauhan was out on bail before the fatal collision for unrelated offences alleged to have happened in 2022 and late 2023, documents show. They include an alleged incident in early December when he was charged with fleeing a peace officer, uttering threats to cause bodily harm to an officer and assaulting an officer. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
A visitation for David, meanwhile, was taking place Sunday, followed by a mass and interment on Monday.
In addition to the fundraiser for his family, his friends have been selling custom T-shirts to support his family. They display the words “Long Live David Shirinian” and a photo of him on his bike.
The outpouring of support has left his mother in awe, she said, noting she has received countless tribute messages and hugs from people she has never met.
Then there are David’s closest pals, who have shown up to her garage — “the hangout place” — every day since he died, offering to cut the grass and wash dishes.
“Sixteen-year-old boys come and hug me hello and hug me goodbye,” Sabrina said. “I don’t even know what to say; I’m speechless.”