Hundreds gathered at city hall to mourn Erixon Kabera, shot to death by Hamilton police
Kabera's family said he had no history of any kind of violence
At least 400 people gathered Thursday on a rainy night in front of Hamilton City Hall to remember Erixon Kabera.
The 43-year-old died early Sunday, after being shot and killed by police.
Kabera had three children aged 17, 13 and 10, said his close friend Andy Ganza.
"He had a lot to live for," he told the CBC.
Hundreds marched from city hall on Main Street Thursday night, holding umbrellas and banners, while a few police officers looked on.
"He was a very kind soul," said Kabera's brother, Yves Ikobe, while addressing the crowd on Thursday.
"We need to make sure that my brother gets justice."
Evie Auchinvole, a member of Stewart Memorial Church said the community was shocked by Kabera's death.
"We cannot help thinking that this could have been the fate of any one of us," she said.
Addressing Kabera's family, she said, "The community stands with you today, tomorrow and as long as it takes to find out what occurred over the past weekend ... we need answers."
Community calling for transparency
The speakers at the vigil talked about Kabera's kindness, the Hamilton Police Service's use of force on Black people in the city, and called for accountability and answers. MP Matthew Green, MPP Sarah Jama and ward 2 councillor Cameron Kroetsch were also in attendance.
The Board of Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre (RCHC) made a statement on Tuesday, mourning the loss of Kabera, calling him a "leader dedicated to uplifting his community."
"Mr. Kabera was a dedicated member of our organization for close to 10 years. Honesty, kindness, effortless infectious laughter and compassion characterized him," read the statement.
The RCHC also called for a "full, transparent investigation," into Kabera's death.
The SIU initially said there was an "exchange of gunfire," then later issued a statement to say that based on further investigation, it doesn't appear the man discharged a firearm, but rather two police officers did.
CBC Hamilton asked why the SIU mistakenly said there was a gunfire exchange. Spokesperson Kristy Denette said the first release was "based on the information that the SIU initially had for this case," but did not say where the information came from.
Police Chief Frank Bergen offered condolences to Kabera's family and the Rwandan community in a statement on Wednesday.
In the statement, he also said "at no time did Hamilton Police release any information related to an exchange of gunfire."
In a post to X on Saturday evening, Hamilton police said an officer was injured after being "confronted by a male with a firearm." The SIU release said a replica gun was found at the scene.
Close friend was on his way to Kabera's apartment the night of his death
Ganza said Kabera was very involved in the local community and recently started a business.
"He was an all-around good guy. You know, he was very gentle ... being violent or confrontational was not him at all," he said.
Ganza said he knew Kabera for 10 years and they became close over the last seven years.
He said he was on his way to Kabera's apartment when he saw a large police presence around his building.
"I was a bit concerned, but I had no idea that he was going to be involved in this.... We were to meet just to hang out," he said.
He said after waiting for a while with calls to his friend going unanswered, he headed back home. Half an hour later, he got a call from Kabera's girlfriend saying he was at the hospital.
For hours, Ganza was waiting for information. He saw on X a post from Hamilton police about the incident.
"I just put one and one together really quick," he said.
Kabera died at the hospital at 12:47 a.m.
Ganza set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to support Kabera's family and cover funeral and legal costs.
Visitation will be held for Kabera on Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at P.X. Dermody Funeral Home at 796 Upper Gage Ave.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from The Canadian Press, Samantha Beattie, Eva Salinas, Justin Chandler