The silence of the street is deafening when it comes to who shot and killed Amir Naraine more than five years ago.
Maybe a $5,000 reward from Crime Stoppers will make the silence end and bring forward new information of those responsible for his shooting death.
That reward has a hitch as Mark Cousins, vice chair of Crime Stoppers, said it will only be valid until Nov. 1.
Devika Naraine, the mother of Amir, spoke tearfully Thursday afternoon at Toronto Police headquarters about her dead son and said it is time for his friends to step up and speak out.
“You boys promised to have each other’s backs,“ she said. “Well, this is the time for you guys to have Amir’s back. Talk up. Say something.”
While speaking at the podium, Naraine was held close by Amir’s stepfather Terence Case as she mustered up the strength and spoke with conviction about finding her son’s killer.
“This isn’t about being a rat. This about putting Amir to rest and peace,” said Naraine. “And finding justice for Amir.”
She then started sobbing again, saying the way her son was left to die “was so disgusting. So horrible.”
Toronto Homicide Det.-Sgt. Aaron Akeson then went through a timeline of what ended up being Amir’s final day.
Akeson explained that back on Sept. 28, 2019, Amir, then 21, headed out to Brampton to visit his girlfriend and returned to pick up a friend in his 2018 Chevy Malibu after coming back to Toronto.
Amir and his friend, whom the mother knows well, had two unidentified men join them and headed back out to Brampton to an undisclosed party location that night.
“Tragically, an altercation occurred later that night leading to Amir and his friend being shot,“ said Akeson. “Amir’s friend survived and was treated at hospital for his injuries.
“Amir’s friend has not provided a statement to the police.”
The vehicle was driven back to Toronto and left at a plaza at 2700 Kipling Ave., north of the Mount Olive area, with Amir was left inside slumped over and slowly dying.
Akeson said the car sat in the plaza’s parking lot for more than 19 hours before his body was found inside by a member of the public, who phoned police.
Investigators say they have surveillance video of two men leaving the car after it was dumped at the plaza.
Anyone with info can contact police at 416-808-7100, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS or online at 222tips.com.