Toronto Star ePaper

Lights for Gabriel

Hundreds gather to mourn teen killed in subway attack

DHRITI GUPTA STAFF REPORTER STEVE RUSSELL TORONTO STAR

With candles and bouquets held in wind-chilled hands, the family and friends of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes last night gathered for a solemn walk to Keele subway station where the teen was killed in an unprovoked attack last Saturday.

The vigil of little lights in the night moved west along Bloor Street West and grew to a crowd of more than 500 people, including strangers who turned out to show support.

Organized by parents and former classmates from Keele Street Public School, the two-hour vigil for Magalhaes began just after 8 p.m. at the gates of High Park. There friends shared with each other their memories and favourite photos of the teenager.

Andrea Magalhaes, Gabriel’s mother, sobbed as she approached Keele station with her family and the crowd. She went down the stairs to the subway platform and the bench where her son sat when he was suddenly stabbed in the unprovoked attack that claimed his life. She sat on the bench with Gabriel’s friend who was with him when he was attacked. She knelt on the tile floor, with her head and arms on the bench, and wept, moving the crowd around her to tears.

Angela Shintani-Sandrowicz was at Keele station when Magalhaes was stabbed. She tried to help him and put pressure on his wound. She held his hand and talked to Gabriel as passerby nurses worked to save his life.

Last night, she had a chance to give Gabriel’s mother a hug. With her sister and wife, Shintani-Sandrowicz lit candles in his memory outside the station.

Supporters at Keele station hugged each other and cried as they left candles, flowers and kind messages for the dead teen.

“It’s been a hard situation I’m not going to lie,” said Joshua Rumbaua a friend who had known Magalhaes for five years since they were both in middle school. “I still don’t know how to process this whole thing.”

Rumbaua, who was quickly surrounded by his friend group as he spoke before the vigil got underway, said he believed Gabriel would have appreciated the turnout. “I’m just really happy to see everybody around here.

“It’s so awesome, seeing the community gather up,” he said about the crowd of supporters.

Brayden Chen said he was best friends with Magalhaes when they were younger. And while he was glad to be part of the candlelight vigil, he said he regrets the reason why.

“It sucks that it happened, it was so out of nowhere,” said Chen, who added he doesn’t regularly take the TTC but his sibling does. “I was very conscious of everything else that was happening (on public transit).

“But now that something has happened to a person I know, that definitely also has changed my perspective even more. I am very cautious.”

Geetanjali Lena went to the Keele station memorial with a friend, not wanting to go alone. Lena said she has a child who is 20 years old, and that she cried all day with him on the phone Wednesday. “I’m so glad my kid is alive. My heart goes out to this family, who has lost theirs.”

Lena, a former criminal defence lawyer, said her clients wouldn’t have known where to look for mental health supports. “The people who are the perpetuators of this violence are dealing with so much pressure because our social systems and public institutions are being gutted. This is a direct result of that.”

Jordan O’Brien-Tobin, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Magalhaes. O’Brien-Tobin had been released by an Ontario court judge on a probation order for several offences, including sexually assaulting a Toronto woman, less than two weeks prior, court records show.

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2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://torontostar.pressreader.com/article/281560885056135

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