Funeral held for slain teen Tyson Bailey

 
 Dressed in matching black Adidas track suits, Tyson Bailey's four siblings comfort each other at the 15-year-old boy's funeral Thursday. The teen was gunned down in Regent Park two weeks ago

TORONTO - Four heart-broken siblings in matching black track suits clung to each other in a west-end church Thursday, tears streaming down their faces as they cried out for their murdered brother, Tyson Bailey.
And as the sobs of the 15-year-old boy’s family filled the Toronto Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, many of the approximately 500 mourners were dabbing their eyes with tissues even before the funeral began.
“I think we can all agree he was an exceptional young man,” Pastor Andrew King said during the emotional two-hour service.
He said the huge crowd on hand showed Bailey “touched many lives” during his life, which was cut short by a gunman in Regent Park two weeks ago.
“Why do bad things happen to good people? That’s the question we find ourselves asking,” King said.
By all accounts, Bailey was a respectful young man who was not involved in the gang lifestyle. But on Jan. 18 the teen’s life was snuffed out when he went to a friend’s place to play video games.
Bailey was shot to death in a 13th-floor stairwell of a highrise near Dundas and River Sts. His killer remains on the loose and the motive for his murder is still a mystery.
“I’m tired of funerals,” King said. “How many more exceptional young men must we lay to rest before we change our ways?”
Those who terrorize communities across the city must “cease and desist,” the pastor urged.
“Young people, it’s about time you turn your lives around,” he said.
Bailey’s high school principal, one of the many who spoke about the teen, said students and staff at Central Tech are struggling to reconcile his untimely death.
Bailey’s high school football coach, Norm Davis, said the running back was a hard worker on and off the field.
“We love you, we miss you,” Davis said, on behalf of the teen’s coaches and teammates.
Rob Perry, a youth minister in Regent Park who knew Bailey since he was “a chubby little kid,” delivered a eulogy written by the teen’s family.
“Tyson loved the game of football,” Perry said. “He played it hard and he played it well.”
But he also enjoyed playing dominoes and video games, he said.
The teen, who had “a charming personality and an infectious smile,” was named after Mike Tyson because his dad was a boxing fan, Perry said.
“Your family misses you dearly,” he said.
The grieving family also expressed gratitude in their eulogy to those who have been helping them through their difficult time.
And they thanked the paramedics who carried the mortally wounded boy down 13 flights of stairs because of problems with the elevators at 605 Whiteside Pl.
Toronto Police continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and help them catch the teen’s killer.