LONGUEUIL – Family and friends of 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi, who was shot and killed by police on Montreal's South Shore, gathered in grief on Saturday to honor his memory during a vigil. The teenager died on Sunday after police responded to a 911 call regarding a group of armed youths in a residential area of Longueuil. An investigation by Quebec's independent police watchdog revealed that the only firearm seized at the scene belonged to the officer who shot Rezayi.
During the vigil, attendees wore T-shirts that read “Justice for Nooran” as they partook in a silent march that attracted several hundred people. The procession wound through a suburban Longueuil neighborhood, culminating in speeches at a football field behind a nearby school. In a heartfelt statement read on his behalf, Rezayi's father described his son as a “thoughtful and loving teen who was full of dreams, full of life.” He expressed the family's devastation over not just losing their child, but also the future that was abruptly taken away from them.
Leading up to the vigil, police urged for calm, citing potential concerns over individuals who might try to disrupt the event and incite violence. On the day of the vigil, officers maintained a distant watch but did not intervene as the gathering remained peaceful. The father emphasized that the march was not driven by anger, but rather by a plea for compassion and justice. “May his memory remain a light in our community and this light guide us towards good conscience, healing, and real change,” he stated.
Despite the call for peace, many attendees held up signs critical of law enforcement, including slogans such as “police, stop killing our kids” and “Nooran had dreams, not weapons.” Sanna Mansouri, whose younger brother was a close friend of Rezayi's, addressed the crowd, highlighting the racism faced by youth in the North African community. She voiced the challenges that her brother and his friends were enduring in coping with the loss. “Fifteen is very young to lose a friend,” she lamented. Mansouri also called for significant changes, including defunding the police and tackling systemic racism, asserting that “racism kills.”
Speaking at the vigil, Mansouri's brother emotionally described Rezayi as a figure who always wore a smile and offered comfort to those in need. In response to the incident, Quebec's police watchdog, known as the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, has opened an investigation into the shooting, while the Montreal police are conducting a parallel criminal inquiry. Earlier this week, the Longueuil police reported that the officer involved in the shooting is currently on indefinite sick leave.
Hadjira Belkacem, a representative from an organization that assists with Muslim funerals, remarked on the tragedy that the community has faced, stating that “we have buried too many young people in recent years.” She emphasized that the event was not just to support the family but to demand justice for Rezayi. Belkacem expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the investigation, noting that in the nearly nine years of the police watchdog’s operation, only two cases have resulted in charges against officers. She stressed the importance of ensuring accountability, saying, “Everyone has to assume their responsibilities, and nobody is above the law.”
