A GoFundMe campaign has been established for a 47-year-old man who police allege was murdered in Orillia earlier this month. Justin Van Allen was fatally stabbed while walking his dogs along the Scout Valley Trail in Orillia on June 2, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Van Allen was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The GoFundMe page, created by Johnny Waite and John Mayo on behalf of the Van Allen family, aims to cover funeral costs, counseling, and other financial needs.
“His family is reeling and have not even been able to think about what comes next,” Waite wrote. “They only know they will be facing it without their hero, their patriarch, their breadwinner.” Waite described Van Allen’s life as meaningful, adding, “He made a positive difference. He was good to people, and was beloved by all.”
The random act of violence has shaken the Orillia community. “There is no reason at all that it was Justin to whom this happened,” Waite said. “We will never be able to make sense of it.”
Van Allen leaves behind his wife, Cindy, and three daughters: Faith, Jaden, and McKenna. Orillia city councillor Whitney Smith expressed condolences, calling the incident “violent and tragic.” She added, “This tragedy has also brought forth a larger issue that many residents and business owners have been raising for a long time: violence, open drug use, theft, intimidation, and disorder in our city are not acceptable, and they cannot be normalized.”
As of Monday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised $98,105 of its $100,000 goal. The funds will also support the family’s future needs as they recover and rebuild. “We are going to keep this window open until after Justin’s celebration of life on June 27, and will finalize it by the end of the month,” Waite wrote. “The response has already far surpassed anyone’s expectations, but it is all needed and very much appreciated.”
Police have charged Devon Alamina, 33, of Brampton, with second-degree murder. The incident occurred around 7 p.m., and police initially described it as a suspicious death. Alamina appeared in court the next day and is currently in police custody in London. Court records show Alamina has a prior criminal record for assault and weapons offenses, and he was on probation at the time of his arrest. He was convicted and sentenced to 60 days in custody for assault with a weapon in February and for failing to comply with a probation order in Caledon in June 2025.
