Montreal forum aims to combat youth violence

The city of Montreal and the police are holding a three-day forum with different institutions, community organizations, and youth representative – to combat armed violence – especially among the young.

“It shouldn’t have to be multiple deaths, to get your attention. But sadly, that’s what it took,” said Onica John, the cousin of Jannai Dopwell-Bailey.

The teen was stabbed outside his Côte-des-Neiges high school in October 2021. The 16-year-old went inside to seek help, but later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

“Something should have been done from that moment, because what happened to him was in broad daylight – at a school. Since then, we have not one, not two incidents where teenagers have lost their lives,” added John.

MORE: Montreal mother speaks out following the murder of her teenage son

Police arrested and charged two teens in Jannai’s case.

“It’s four months now [since we lost Jannai], but how can we forget when we have now [lost] Lucas outside of his school – same age as Jannai.”

The list of Montreal teens killed continues to grow:

• Lucas Gaudet, 16, stabbed Feb. 8 near a Pointe-Claire high school, dying from his injuries days later
• Amir Benayad, 17, shot and killed while walking in the Plateau in January
• Thomas Trudel, 16, fatally shot in St-Michel in Nov. 2021
• Meriem Boundaoui, 15, shot and killed in St-Leonard in Feb. 2021, as she sat in a car chatting with her friends

The forum is aimed at reducing this kind of violence and starts virtually Feb. 24, with a second date March 17.

“We’ve all been shocked by what happened in the last months,” said Montreal mayor Valérie Plante at a press conference announcing the forum. “Having young people die the way they did. It’s not acceptable for any Montrealer – it’s not acceptable for us. The idea of the forum is to mobilize all the centers to look at best practices.”

“We have the schools and we have also the DPJ. Everyone’s working, but we feel sometimes there’s silos that have to be broken to have a better intervention,” explained Vincent Richer, deputy director, Montreal police corporate services.

“I think that the police just have to have a better relationship with the youth in the area that they’re in,” said Tyrese Dopwell-Bailey, Jannai’s brother.

He’s calling on the city to provide more resources for young people amid the pandemic. He hopes this might help prevent someone from following in the footsteps of those who stabbed his brother.

“Maybe if they had better things to do with their time – that they wouldn’t have made a decision that they made.”

#WATCH: “Maybe if they had better things to do with their time, they wouldn’t have made the decision they made,” says Tyrese Dopwell-Bailey, of the youth involved in the stabbing death of his 16yo brother Jannai last year, as Montreal unveils details of a forum on armed violence. pic.twitter.com/S9pBua8VBT

— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) February 21, 2022

On the last day of the forum, March 31, solutions and an action plan will be submitted at an in-person event.

MORE: Montreal family grieves Lucas Gaudet, killed in stabbing near school

But for Jannai’s family, still grieving, they have one ask: that weapons no longer end up in the hands of young people

“If they don’t do certain things, we are going to have a lot more deaths,” said John.

“There’s too many mothers and fathers who are crying for their children at a ridiculous rate. I think it has to end,” said Jannai’s brother.

MORE: Memorial for 15-year-old Montrealer who died last year