A 43-year-old Rwandan man was pronounced dead in Toronto, following a shooting incident involving Hamilton police officers on November 9. The father of three, identified as Erixon Kabera, succumbed to his injuries while in hospital on November 10, according to reports. He was the vice president of the Rwandan community in Toronto. Kabera's family said they wanted more answers about what led to the fatal shooting. The Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) issued a statement confirming it had launched an investigation into the shooting. “Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 5 p.m. on November 9, Hamilton Police Service officers responded to an apartment building on Main Street West after a resident reported a male acting in a threatening manner,” the statement said. “On the 5th floor, officers became involved in an interaction with a person of interest. Two officers discharged their firearms, and the man was struck. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 12:47 a.m. on November 10,” the statement continued. The SIU noted that, based on initial findings, it did not appear that Kabera had discharged a firearm during the incident. One police officer sustained minor injuries and was treated at the hospital before being released. Six investigators and two forensic specialists have been assigned to the case, with two subject officers and two witness officers designated. A post-mortem has been scheduled for Monday in Toronto, and the SIU urged anyone with information, photos, or video evidence to come forward. Family seeks answers In a statement, Kabera’s family described him as a devoted father who “loved his three sons deeply, spending as much time as possible with them, taking them everywhere, and being actively involved in their lives.” “Known for his warm heart and kindness,” the statement continued, Kabera was “a beloved family man, a friend to many, and a deeply caring individual who left a lasting impression on everyone he met. Our family deserves answers, clarity, and peace,” the family stated. The family said that for the past 20 years, Kabera worked to support his family, most recently serving as a Resource Officer with the Canada Revenue Agency. Besides being the vice president of the Rwandan community in Toronto, Kabera was also an advisor to the Rwandan Canadian Healing Center. Through these roles, Kabera contributed to numerous projects that empowered, educated, and uplifted the community, his family said. The family expressed frustration over the initial police portrayal of the incident, which they said suggested an “exchange of gunfire” and implied that Kabera was armed. “We are devastated by the circumstances of Kabera’s death, which occurred inside his apartment, a place where he had been spending the day resting. Even more heartbreaking is the police’s portrayal of these tragic events,” the family stated, noting that Kabera was not known to possess a gun or to condone violence. The SIU later updated its report, clarifying that there was no exchange of gunfire and that it was two officers who discharged their weapons, causing Kabera’s fatal injuries. The family expressed pointed to a delay in releasing this information, describing the reversal of the facts as “deeply outrageous and unnerving.” The family said they wanted to get access to police body camera footage, surveillance video, and any other evidence that might shed light on what transpired during the incident. “We want to know the details of the altercation so that we can understand the truth of what happened in Kabera’s final moments,” the family stated.
