Funerals for the two young victims of the mass shooting that occurred in the heart of Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood last week were held on Monday.
At St. Panteleimon Greek Orthodox Church in Markham, 10-year-old Julianna Kozis’ funeral service took place. Julianna’s been described by neighbours as a “beautiful, aspiring athlete”, who was out with family on Danforth Avenue when she was caught in a hail of bullets.
Markham Mayor, Frank Scarpitti was among the hundreds of people who paid their respects at Julianna’s funeral.
While at a Toronto funeral home, 18-year-old Reese Fallon was laid to rest. Reese died while enjoying a night out with friends. Family members said the teen would be “deeply missed but not forgotten.”
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau attended Reese’s funeral along with hundreds of others, and after at the growing memorial site at Alexander the Great parkette, where some of the victims were shot, he urged those impacted by the violence on Danforth Avenue to come together as they continue to process the tragic event. After laying flowers at the site, he said, “I just wanted to tell those young people and everyone who is grieving and mourning that our loved ones, particularly extraordinary, beautiful ones like the two girls we lost, will be with us forever.”
The crowded memorial site continues to fill up with flowers, stuffed animals, candles and other tributes. Boxes of chalk have also been left so that mourners can leave messages of love and remembrance.
The two funerals both took place out of the public eye, as the families have requested privacy, as they come to terms with the loss of their loved ones.
