The shooting death of 14-year-old Jamaican-born Taffash Riley in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, last week has left her relatives and friends in the St Andrew community of Wilton Gardens, popularly known as Rema, puzzled and traumatised.

After a CAD$15,000 fund-raising initiative to cover air travel and other expenses, the community, which held a candlelight vigil a few days ago in her honour, is anticipating the arrival of her body to the island later this week.

Riley’s death is currently still being considered a mystery and one upset Rema resident said he never expected such a tragic death to befall her. He had hoped that her migration to the North American country was an escape from the usually violent community to a safer land.

On Sunday, the male resident implored the Canadian authorities to push hard to solve the case.

“It is in the hands of the law of Canada. I am begging them to step up their investigation and solve this case. This nuh supposed to be any-more unsolved mystery. The residents of Rema a look fi see a very good result from the investigations. My condolences go out to the Riley family,” he said.

He shared that the child, her parents, and her older brother have been residents of Canada since 2012, but would usually return to the island to spend holidays with family. He added that the community is shattered by the reality that she won’t ever return to the island alive.

“I know her as Lilly. She was a very polite little girl who was very nice and intelligent. She come from very strong parents. She grow in Rema and is not a likkle girl weh mix up and her mother and father are good people, so it bring a shock to the community,” he said.

“We thought up there was much safer. The whole community cut up and vex about this. The whole community vex and a ball out for Miss Riley. From she was bred, we know her very well. The whole community a send out condolences. Mi a beg Mr Riley, her father, to just hold on strong.”

The girl’s aunt described her tragic death as unbelievable.

“It nuh real! Is like you a wait fi somebody come and say it is a joke. Is like every day yuh sleep and wake up yuh pray yuh will open your door and see that same jovial person you know, that person who always a smile, laugh and give joke,” she said.

Canadian media have reported that the Peel Region Police were called to an apartment building located at 7170 Darcel Avenue in Malton around 9:00 pm on February 1. Cops were called in after a resident found Taffash suffering from a gunshot wound in the stairwell on the third floor. It is said that medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.

Taffash was a grade nine student at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School.