Toronto police identify rapper Smoke Dawg as one of two killed in shooting

The Toronto-born Smart was part of the Halal Gang, a group of four Toronto rappers. Shortly after the shooting, friends, artists and fans of Smart posted their condolences on social media. (Photo: smokedawg/Instagram)

Toronto police say a young, up-and-coming rap artist was one of two people killed in a brazen daylight shooting in the city’s bustling entertainment district.

Police say Jahvante Smart, 21, also known as Smoke Dawg, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, both of Toronto, succumbed to their injuries from the Saturday night incident.

The Toronto-born Smart was part of the Halal Gang, a group of four Toronto rappers. Shortly after the shooting, friends, artists and fans of Smart posted their condolences on social media.

Toronto rapper Drake posted a photo of he and Smart performing together with the caption, “Rest up Smoke.”

The third victim of Saturday’s shooting, a woman, is expected to recover.

Speaking at a Canada Day event Sunday morning, Toronto Mayor John Tory tied the shooting to gang violence, although a police spokesman would not go that far.

People with ties to gangs are “the only ones that pose a threat” to the city, Tory said, while renewing his call for systemic action to keep people accused of gun crimes off the streets.

“Some of these people who are out on bail … have been doing this repeatedly,” said Tory.

“We can’t have people getting out on bail 20 minutes after they’re arrested for using a gun.”

Tory said he’s spoken with the city’s police chief, and he knows officers are working hard to “round these people up and get them off the street.”

Police said shots rang out in front of a downtown nightclub near the corner of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue on Saturday evening, sending people fleeing in all directions.

They’re appealing to anyone in the area who heard or saw anything out of the ordinary to contact police, as well as anyone who may have footage from the scene.

But Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said he couldn’t confirm the shooting was linked to organized crime.

According to police statistics for 2018, there were 199 shootings in the city as of June 25, and 22 people killed by gun violence. There were 170 shootings by the same time last year, the statistics show, resulting in 16 deaths.

The latest violence — on a busy downtown street in broad daylight — has some Torontonians feeling unsafe in the city.

Carrie Ma, 18, was having a barbecue on the rooftop of a residential building near Saturday’s incident. She happened to be taking a video of her friends as the gunshots were fired, and the sound is captured on the clip.

“Most of us have never heard gunshots before so we thought it was fireworks going off a day early for Canada Day, but then we began to hear sirens coming towards us,” said Ma, who is originally from nearby Richmond Hill, Ont.

“I’m about to enter university and I will be living downtown, so it’s a little scary,” said Ma, who will soon begin studying at OCAD University.

“It’s making me doubt whether I should live downtown — although I know it could happen anywhere.”