Nathan House on October 27, 2008 6:46 PM

The media coverage on this shooting has been incredibly sensationalist, although perhaps I'm just taking note because it's occurring in my neighborhood. Ahhh Leslieville, you make me so proud with all your beauty and dichotomous presentation of swanky restaurants and rundown bars.

Mikey on October 27, 2008 7:01 PM

I guess the gun crimes are no longer related only to Blacks, since this as*hole is White! No matter, I hope they catch this M-F and make him pay for his ghastly deeds! He's a known gun offender with a long history of offenses. Canada has got to stop being a nation of bleeding hearts and make punishments suit the crimes! Hang this bastard by the balls until he croaks!

Tim on October 27, 2008 7:34 PM

Yeah. I agree. The media coverage has been a bit OTT. I spotted CityTV outside the Duke again today.

ronotoe on October 27, 2008 9:13 PM

someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the actual shooting got killed. it's going to get a bit more attention folks.

what a terrible situation all together.

Paul M on October 27, 2008 10:01 PM

The actual problem is one that no one talks about. Here is a little analogy: When you go for oil change and mechanic looks at dirty oil and says you need to change front right tire you know something is wrong. Engineer designed oil filter to carry out the function of keeping oil clean, so mechanic should take care of filter first, not the tire! The great Designer of this world made family just for that function - raise human beings, so why do we want other parts of our car to do family's job? Youth centers, school, police are not made to do what family is able to do for centuries. We need to let families do what they do best, raise humans that can function well within our society. For decades we've been stripping away the ability of family to perform its function well, help family to function again! I hear on the radio all this talk about the need for more programs, community centers, tougher laws... nothing will work! Only family can produce and support well functioning individuals, it is its primary function in healthy society.

Justin on October 27, 2008 10:38 PM

I don't know about all that, but if/when they catch this POS I can tell you I wouldn't at all mind if he mysteriously perished in police custody. No inquest necessary.

Absolutely senseless.

Bubba on October 27, 2008 11:16 PM

They need to take criminals like this out into the streets and treat them like the rabid dogs they are, they have no regard for human life and they should be treated as such.

Nathan House on October 28, 2008 7:34 AM

@Bubba: While I understand the emotional impetus for such a reaction, I hope you're being hyperbolic.

@ronotoe: Granted, I think the fact that the victim was a bystander is deserving of some more attention. I just can't help but feel as I walk past the site and see all the various camera crews with their extendable satellite transmitters that the coverage becomes something more akin to a circus. Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but at such a point it feels like their coverage has very little to do with the victim's family and more to do with milking this story for every last drop they can get.

I think we can all agree that it was a horrible tragedy and consequently wonder why it is we remain as a country unable to make hand guns illegal.

Maria on October 28, 2008 9:36 AM

I just read in one of those subway TVs that the suspect's mom defended his son on TV. Does anyone know anything about this? What did she say or what?

Ry-Tron on October 28, 2008 9:49 AM

Media coverage (and I don't just mean the 6 o'clock news) tends to increase in magnitude depending on how white the skin of the victim was, as well as how far away the murder happened from Jane and Finch.

Paul M, families are also the thing that tend to really FUCK PEOPLE UP in a lot of cases. It goes both ways.

Rob on October 28, 2008 9:54 AM

It's cases like this which bring out the medieval in me - this excuse for a human being deserves to be hung from the nearest lamppost and left there for all to see until the crows (and/or other scavengers) do away with his remains.

tripper on October 28, 2008 10:06 AM

From the Toronto Star:

"A woman identifying herself as Weese's mother Sherry called the CP24 show Legal Briefs last night, extending condolences to Zaveda's family but saying there's no proof her son was the shooter.

"Everything that is being portrayed about my son is not true," she said, protesting comments that he should have been declared a dangerous offender because of his past convictions. She said she last heard from Kyle three weeks ago and, "I have no idea where he is ... Obviously he needs to do the right thing and turn himself in."

She added that it was difficult raising "many" children. "It all stems from where do people get help from when they have troubled children? There really is no help out there.""

You see? It's society's fault. Lock up society and throw away the key!

acer on October 28, 2008 8:09 PM

Man bites dog is news. Gangster shoots gangster in bad area is becoming common. Innocent victim gets killed, not so common hence more media coverage.

The media only gives people what they want. If you don't like it, don't watch. Stop bitching about it and vote with your remote or your loonies in the red and blue boxes in the morning. But my guess is there are a lot of people out there that DO want to hear/read about this story as it "could have been them" that night.

I disagree with the racism suggested by some of the above posts. When Jordan Manners was shot, there was lots of coverage. Ravi in Brampton, lots of coverage.

I think the "known to police" factor has to do with the attention and if it's a high crime area.

anit miller on October 30, 2008 12:50 PM

I am saddened by this tragedy. It is unfortunate that an innocent life was lost. I wish the family and friends of all those involved my deepest sympathy.

If anything comes of this I imagine it should be his blondness Mr Miller finding new blame for our troubles. I imagine, as you read this that Mr Miller is gassing up the plane to take his consultants somewhere distant from the troubles of Toronto and live it up on our dollar to try and find a solution.
If history repeats itself he will probably realizes that the non smoking ban should be banned from Toronto. If smoking were permitted indoors this would never have happened. All 6 shooting victims would have been indoors and only the people involved in the argument would have been shot. This is clearly the fault of the Lung Association.

This is Miller logic as I see it. It has nothing to do with our legal system. It has nothing to do that Mr Weese will likely be out on bail again in a short time. He can get another gun (unless Mr Miller is a hero and bans them first, OH WAIT! Mr Weese was already prohibited from owning a gun. Would a hand gun ban really have helped here?)

I hope Mr Miller finds other ways of avoiding the real issue, I know my friends would love to smoke indoors again.