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CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Vigil honours 'loveable' Belinda Sarkodie, as community gathers where she was killed in Hamilton
Social Sharing Standing on the roof of Jackson Square, the older brother of Belinda Sarkodie took time to share with a gathered crowd what his sister meant to him and his family. "Belinda wasn't just my sister, she was my friend, my encouragement and one of the kindest souls I've ever known," said Richard Sarkodie, pausing at times as a family friend rubbed his back. "It's hard to put in words the kind of pain our family is feeling right now. Losing her is something we will never fully understand, but even in our grief, we are proud of who she was and we are grateful for the time we had with her." Belinda was waiting at a bus stop near James Street N. and King Street W. outside the mall when she was shot and killed on July 11. She had been out with a friend, grocery shopping at Nations, as she usually did on Fridays. More than 100 people gathered on July 18 outside Jackson Square to remember the 26-year-old, who police have called an innocent bystander. After speeches on the roof, the crowd walked down the stairs together, filling the sidewalk next to the bus stop where Belinda was killed. Some held flags from Ghana, where she was from, others laid flowers next to a picture of her. One person held a sign that read "stop the gun violence now!" In addition to Richard, who lives in Manitoba, Belinda leaves behind her older sister and mother in Ghana. 'I just need justice to be served' Belinda sought refuge in Canada as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in 2024. Her partner, Grace Nasiru, was one of the first people to find out about what happened after receiving a call from the friend that was with her. "She's a very lovable person. She's so selfless," she told CBC News at the vigil on Friday, adding she was "devastated," to learn about what happened. The pair met in Canada and worked together at the Hamilton airport alongside other Ghanaian women. Hamilton police issued a warrant on July 13 for the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect in relation to the shooting, which left one other person injured. Police said that at 5:25 p.m. ET on July 11, a "male suspect encountered a group" of three people near James Street N. and King Street E. who "appear to have been the intended targets." As he was shooting, Belinda was struck. She was later pronounced dead on the scene. "The only thing I ask myself is 'how was a teenager able to purchase a gun?'" said Nasiru. "I just need justice to be served. It would give the family some peace of mind." Belinda remembered as 'very kind' and 'cheerful' The vigil had moments of prayer and song, but also quiet and anger. Evelyn Aidoo, who Belinda regarded as an aunt, shared a message for the suspect at the vigil. "You are a coward, so are your parents, your family members and anybody who knows where you are. You cannot take a life away and be hiding for a whole week," she said during a speech. "Wherever you are, show up." Belinda was "very kind," and "cheerful," Aidoo said at the vigil. That's how she wants people to remember her. "She was always laughing, always laughing," she said. Both Aidoo and Richard said Belinda's family back in Ghana have been deeply impacted by the news of her killing. "[Her] mom, up till now has not been able to say a has people around her but she herself has not been able to say a word since the incident," Aidoo told CBC's As It Happens earlier in the day on Friday. The Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario set up a GoFundMe, aiming to raise $40,000 for Sarkodie's funeral and to support her family.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- CTV News
Innocent bystander fatally shot in downtown Hamilton was a ‘caring person with a good heart,' says brother
Belinda Sarkodie, 26, was killed in a shooting in downtown Hamilton on Friday, July 11, 2025. (TikTok photos) A 26-year-old woman who was killed in a double shooting in downtown Hamilton last Friday was a 'caring person with a good heart,' according to her brother. Richard Sarkodie said his sister, Belinda, was the youngest of three kids, and was her mother's best friend. He said that they were the only ones who lived in Canada, adding that Belinda called him and their mom every day after work and that he and Belinda spoke on the phone every Friday – her day off. 'I tried calling her throughout the night and no one was answering the phone,' he said. Belinda Sarkodie, who arrived in Canada last year from Ghana and was working in Hamilton, was hit by a stray bullet late last Friday afternoon after gunfire broke out on King Street East, near Jackson Square shopping centre. She died at the scene. A man in his 20s was also shot. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. The shooter, meanwhile, fled the area on foot. Sarkodie said his sister was the 'only one' he'd call when he was going through a challenge in his life. 'She would be like, 'No, no, you know this happened in the Bible. This too shall pass.' And we just laugh and then it would be okay,' he shared, adding that Belinda was planning to move to Manitoba with him in the near future. 'It was quite unfortunate that this all happened because I already planned everything. I moved out from where I was and then she was about to join me in a few months time and (then) this tragedy happened. It's not been easy.' Richard Sarkodie Richard Sarkodie, the brother of a 26-year-old woman fatally shot in Hamilton on July 11, speaks with CTV News Toronto. Victim had 'aspirations,' says Ghanian association Emmanuel Duodu, the president of the Ghanian Canadian Association of Ontario, called Belinda a 'lady who had aspirations.' 'She was very enthusiastic about what she wanted to accomplish in this country,' he said. Belinda Sarkodie Belinda Sarkodie, 26, was killed in a shooting in downtown Hamilton on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Hamilton Police Service handout) The woman's colleagues showed up at the scene on Friday night to pay their respects. They said she was waiting for the bus with a boy they know at the time of the deadly shooting. 'They were talking and he told me he just turned and later turned back to tell her did you hear gunshots, (and) when he turned back to look at her she was just lying on the floor full of blood,' Grace Nasiru, the victim's co-worker, said on Friday. Nasiru knew Sarkodie for seven months. 'She's a likeable person. Her boss likes her at work. Everyone around her likes her,' she said. '(Belinda) just laughs it over. She's just a good person.' Sign bullet holes Hamilton A bullet-riddled sign is seen near the scene of a fatal July 11 shooting in downtown Hamilton. Today, a sign near the scene of the shooting could be seen punctured with bullet holes. 'I heard like firing, like after each other, like tuf tuf tuf tuf, and I see like people running then I went like inside and I hid in the office,' said Shehad Amghazami, who witnessed the incident.. Police searching for a teenage boy they believe is responsible for shooting On Sunday, Hamilton police obtained permission to identify 17-year-old Hamilton resident Mackale Lavoie, whom they believe may be responsible for the deadly double shooting. They say he's wanted for one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. 'Investigators are actively looking for Mackale and encourage him to reach out to his lawyer and make arrangements to turn himself in,' Det. Stf. Sgt. John Obrovic said on Monday afternoon. He said police believe Mackale 'encountered' three individuals downtown and that they 'appear' to be the intended targets. This investigation in ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Hamilton police at 905-546-4925 or Crime Stoppers anonymously. With files from CTV News Toronto's Allison Hurst
