Arrested not far from the crime scene, Benedict Johnson Kongolo is accused of the first degree murder of his father and his brother.
Pascale Breniel (View profile)Pascale Breniel
The Congolese community in the Toronto area is in shock following a family tragedy which claimed the lives of a father and his son on Tuesday.
According to members of the community, the family is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The mother, injured by gunfire , is still in the hospital, but his life is not in danger.
Another son, Benedict Johnson Kongolo, 23, faces two counts of first-degree murder.
He was arrested shortly after time after the murders following a police foot chase during which two officers were injured.
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The police claimed that the victims and the suspect knew each other, but refused to specify the nature of the link between them.
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Dundas Street was closed for numerous hours Tuesday while police conducted their investigation.
Alerted by numerous phone calls from worried people, Jean-Paul Idikay, president of the Communauté congolaise GTA association and friend of the family, went to the city center on Tuesday to try to find out more.
Learning of the father's death and seeing the son's body on the scene of the tragedy shook him greatly.
It’s like your child is there. I was without strength.
A quote from Jean-Paul Idikay, community leader and family friend
He feels overcome by a feeling of helplessness. Especially when I see the images, it hurts a lot.
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Jean-Paul Idikay knows the family well.
Patrick Mpiana Kateka, president of the Association of Congolese of Ontario, felt very sad when he learned of the events. He says that members of his community have a hard time imagining that a child could shoot a parent.
People ask a lot of questions and then they are worried to think, but, where do the weapons come from? Because Canada, generally, is a country of peace.
A quote from Patrick Mpiana Kateka, president of the Association of Congolese of Ontario
People, he said, are very concerned. Everyone feels concerned.
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The sad events shake some Congolese of origin, who find it difficult to accept that such tragedy may have occurred within their community.
Jean-Paul Idikay appeals to members of the community in these difficult times.
We are in mourning; we lost one of our own and his child, he said. Now is not the time to get suspicious, because the police are investigating, and on the other hand, it is time to sympathize.
