'We're having nightmares:' Family of teen boy fatally stabbed in Toronto's east end speaks out
Abdoul Aziz Sarr, of Toronto, was stabbed near a McDonald's in the area of Eastern and Woodward avenues just after 10 p.m. on July 5. He died in hospital, Toronto police said.
His father said he found out Abdoul had been stabbed after seeing a video on social media that showed the boy injured at the fast food restaurant.
"I was shaking, my body was shaking," said Samane Sarr.
He and his family made their way to the hospital, where a doctor told them that his son had passed away.
"Doctor was crying like a baby. I've never seen a doctor crying like that," said Sarr. "I know he did his best."
Sarr said Abdoul was a nice, friendly, funny boy who was always laughing and liked being around family. He said his son wanted to become a construction worker to build a house for his mother.
Muhamed Sarr, Abdoul's older brother, said he's struggling to process that his brother is gone.
"I really miss him," he said. "We did everything together, we slept in the same room, we slept in the same bed sometimes."
Taha Butt, Abdoul's friend, said he liked playing basketball and was excited to go to high school and "progress in life."
He said that when he heard Abdoul had been stabbed, it didn't even cross his mind that the boy could die. Hours later, when he found out his friend didn't make it, he said he was speechless.
"I had never lost someone who was that close to me, in such a tragic way, before. When I found out, I couldn't even speak," said Butt.
Police said two 16-year-old boys have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Abdoul's death. Sarr said he is not angry at the people responsible.
"Maybe they did a mistake. Maybe their intention was not to kill Abdoul," he said.
The incident happened just across the street from the African music festival, AfroFest. Sarr said that Abdoul went to the festival with some cousins, but they got separated, and the rest of the group couldn't find him.
His cousin, Alassane Sambe, was with him at the festival and said he felt guilty when he found out what happened.
"I was feeling guilty because I was the one with him, we were together, and his parents had always trusted me," said Sambe.
Abdoul's aunt said she could never have imagined that an incident like that would have ever happened to her nephew. She said his death has been really hard for her family.
"We can't sleep anymore, we're having nightmares," said Maimouna Sambe.
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