Toronto, Canada: Kenneth Mark likely never knew his life was in danger when he walked outside a Junction pizzeria Tuesday night.
The 29-year-old had grabbed a snack before his night shift at the local Wal-Mart. Around 10 p.m. he stepped outside, where two men were waiting for him. He was putting on a pair of headphones when the fatal bullet struck the back of his head.
“He was ambushed,” said Det. Hank Idsinga, standing outside the corner pizza and wings shop. “He probably didn’t hear them coming. He probably didn’t see them coming.”
Homicide No. 62 has all the markings of a run-of-the-mill gang hit. But police say Mark was the furthest thing from a criminal. He had no record. And he was a hard-working, honest guy who liked to play basketball and DJ at community events.
His friends and family say his death was retribution for Mark standing up to some local thugs.
“He stopped some guys from bringing guns in here (a St. Clair housing complex). That’s what happened,” said a female friend, her lip quivering in anger.
Idsinga confirmed this was a motive detectives were investigating.
“It’s a senseless tragedy … He was the salt of the earth,” said Idsinga. “His family and friends are absolutely devastated.”
At work, they called him “the big teddy bear.” In the Junction, he was beloved by the neighbourhood children. In the summer, it was not unusual for Mark to hail a passing ice cream truck, then treat local kids to a cold snack.
On Wednesday, Mark’s family gathered at a cousin’s home. Alicia Thomas, Mark’s niece, said the family is still in shock.
“He was a good person,” she said in tears. “He was looking out for our community.”
Mark’s sister-in-law, Aba Recchia-Mark, said kids would see him on the street and get excited and wave. A few days ago he went to Wal-Mart and bought mitts for a lot of the neighbourhood children.
“He was just that kind of person,” she said. “The one thing I don’t want to happen is for the media and people to stereotype this. `Oh another black man.'”
Mark’s mother, who was visiting her native Grenada for the holidays, was on her way back to Toronto. Mark was one of eight children and lived a few doors from his cousin at the St. Clair Ave. W. complex.
Mark’s apartment is across the street from the Wal-Mart where he had worked for five years. About two years ago, he was promoted to a night supervisor.
“I called him the big teddy bear,” said the store manager Carlos Goncalves. “He was a great guy. Great personality. True to his work. We’re all … it’s very sad.”
Homicide detectives got an early break in the case.
Most of the incident was caught on as many as five area surveillance cameras. The videos are being analyzed.
It was a passing TTC bus driver who called police after hearing three gunshots.
Witnesses reported seeing two men, both in their 20s and wearing dark clothing, running north on Gilmour Ave. toward Maria St., near the Dundas St. W. pizza shop.
(The Marks are a St. Andrew family)