Toronto police confirm that four Black boys from the city remain missing amid concerns about missing Black youth in the GTA. (Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)
In the face of a growing crisis, GTA community leaders are demanding that local authorities take immediate action to prevent more Black boys from going missing.
Last week, the Brampton Black Empowerment Unit hosted a town hall calling for action to address the issue after multiple posts about the missing youth have been going viral on social media.
Andre Fullerton, an advisor with the Black Empowerment Unit, says that the issue is a growing concern.
“We weren’t sure why they were missing… there was very little reporting going on, so I was definitely very nervous,” he explained.
“But since the town hall and David Mitchell and the other police services from around the GTA provided some real insight and data that supports the fact that, you know, [youth] weren’t being taken out of their homes,” Fullerton told The Brandon Gonez Show.
“I think that was something that at least alleviated some of the stress, certainly it brings about some other concerns, but again, at least I felt better knowing that they weren’t taken, kidnapped or abducted.”
Fullerton is calling for answers as to where these missing youth are going.
“While they answered questions in terms of…young people not being abducted. They didn’t answer questions in terms of why young people are leaving their homes,” Fullerton explained. “Research needs to be done to understand why young people are leaving [their] homes.”
Back in December, Toronto-based multimedia producer Shana McCalla started a petition calling for the issue of missing Black boys to get more attention from the public, police, and media.
“If we do nothing, we risk losing these boys forever. We risk losing more of our youth—forgotten, unheard, unseen,” the petition reads. “The silence surrounding their cases—the lack of media coverage, public alerts, and visible police urgency—is unacceptable.”
“I just noticed more boys were going missing after I shared the original six,” McCalla shared with The Brandon Gonez Show. “They were going missing, like two of them a week, around the holidays.”
“I said there’s something going on here. Could be systemic, could be more to the stories [of] why so many boys keep going missing, because the number was growing.”
The petition, which had reached more than 50 per cent of its 5,000 signature goal at the time of publication, is calling for the following action:
- That law enforcement prioritize and provide regular updates on these cases.
- That media outlets amplify the stories of our missing boys.
- That public amber alerts and resources be utilized urgently to ensure no child is overlooked.
POLICE RESPOND
Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers were in attendance at last week’s town hall. The police service told The Brandon Gonez Show that it recognizes the community’s concern for missing Black youth in Toronto.
“While it is true that Black youth are reported missing more frequently than youth of other races, the rumour that many Black youths are currently unaccounted for is not true,” TPS Senior Communications Advisor Nadine Ramadan said in a statement to The Brandon Gonez Show.
“Ninety-six per cent of missing persons reported to the Toronto Police are found, and currently, there are four missing Black youth in the city,” she continued. “Even one missing youth is too many, and we are committed to locating them and ensuring their safety.”
Toronto police confirmed to The Brandon Gonez Show that 110 of the 200 youth between the ages of 12 and 17 reported missing in Toronto in 2024 were Black. The four youths that remain missing include 17-year-old Makhei, 15-year-olds Malachi and Caleb, and 13-year-old Kyman, according to Toronto police.
Meanwhile, Peel Regional Police confirmed that Staff Superintendent Hubert Hiltz attended the town hall last week.
“At the meeting, S/Supt. Hiltz communicated that this is unfounded in our region and outlined the process our service undertakes when an individual is reported missing,” Peel police told The Brandon Gonez Show.
“While the remaining missing individuals referenced in the video are not from our region, we will always support our fellow police services with investigations, should our efforts be needed.”
Peel police also said that there is no race overrepresented among missing people in Peel.
The Brandon Gonez Show also reached out to Durham Regional Police regarding missing youth.
“We are aware of the circulating social media posts. We have two males missing, they are not connected in any way and these cases are currently being treated as standard missing person investigations,” Durham police said.
Brampton’s Black Empowerment Unit will be holding another town hall to address the situation on Jan. 16 at Revival Time Tabernacle in North York.
There will be another town hall held on Jan. 23 at Brampton City Hall.
A fourth town hall will be held in Durham on Jan. 30.
