The mother of a boy who was shot and killed in the same building where a Toronto Police officer was slain on Thursday has firsthand knowledge of how gun violence ruins lives.
“It is very heartbreaking to hear,” Holly Roy told the Toronto Sun of the Thursday morning shooting death of Const. Marc Pinizzotto. “I didn’t think I would be so affected by the news today, but absolutely, it is sad to hear that there was another act of gun violence in the same building. It brought back a lot of difficult emotions and memories for me.”
Pinizzotto, 43, a member of the Emergency Task Force, was shot while helping serve a search warrant at 15 Martha Eaton Way — a 23-storey building near Trethewey and Black Creek Drs. in North York — at about 5:40 a.m. He later died at Sunnybrook hospital.
Roy’s son JahVai was killed in the same apartment building on Aug. 16, 2025, when he was hit by a stray bullet while lying in bed with her. Despite life-saving measures, the eight-year-old was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Heart Goes Out to the Family
Less than a year later, Roy was dealing with the same sense of helplessness. “My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of the officer,” Roy said. “My heart is with them and nobody should endure that phone call or that type of loss. And what happened today is just a reminder that gun violence continues to impact our communities in devastating ways. Everybody deserves to feel safe in their homes and their neighbourhoods.”
Others who live in the building shared similar concerns upon hearing the news of Pinizzotto’s death. “I am definitely leaving,” a City of Toronto employee said, speaking to the Sun on condition of anonymity. “This is not worth it anymore … I want to (get) out of Toronto.”
The man said he was heading out for work at about 5:30 a.m. and witnessed the scene firsthand. He said the officers looked like they were wearing military gear while accompanied by police dogs and that the scene looked like a “war zone.”
‘S— Goes On in Here’
The employee was hesitant to speak as he didn’t want to be seen talking to anyone publicly about the situation in the building. With the history of gun violence in the area, he said he feels threatened by everyday life and that there is a sense of dread walking into the building.
“In some ways, it is scary, very scary, as you don’t know what could happen to you … I remember the night that kid got shot last year,” he said. “I was just passing by and two minutes later they were shooting.”
He said he fears retributions — or getting “clapped back” — for speaking out, which was part of the reason why he asked for anonymity. “You don’t want to hang out because you have little gangs here, drug dealing, s— goes on in here,” he said. “And that is why you don’t (want to) get involved. You just keep walking.”
Some Residents Feeling Urge to Move Out
One woman driving by in her car stopped to ask what was going on after seeing two Special Investigations Unit vehicles parked in front of the main entrance. She then expressed shock and dismay about the incident and raised the possibility of changing her residence.
“This is crazy,” she said before driving off. “I have lived 20 years in this building. I have to move out. Oh my God.”
A woman taking her kids to school in an SUV, who also said that she lives in the building, asked what was going on when she drove by the scene. When informed of the shooting, she said she was “shocked” as well and that the smart residents have moved out of the building.
“The people that I used to see have left already,” said the woman, who has lived in the building for 30-plus years. “It has gotten to a point where it is not worth it anymore.”
