By Canadian Press

Neighbours struggle to share news of 10-year-old girl’s death with their kids

Jul 25, 2018 | 2:11 PM

Parents on a suburban Toronto street agonized Wednesday over how to tell their children that one of their regular playmates had been killed in the Greektown shooting spree.

Ten-year-old Julianna Kozis was out on Danforth Avenue with her family on Sunday night when she was caught in the hail of bullets fired by 29-year-old Faisal Hussain. Neighbours and friends said Julianna’s father Donny was among the 13 others injured in the attack.

The street around the family’s home on Penny Crescent in Markham, Ont., usually abuzz with children playing, was all but silent on Wednesday as residents processed the news that one of their own had died in the shooting that also killed an 18-year-old woman from Toronto.

One man who did not want to identify himself because he had yet to connect with the Kozis family in person said Julianna would often sit on her front lawn with other local children talking for hours.

The man said his wife was “a mess” after hearing the news and had taken the day off work.

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“I have not told my son yet…We will probably tell him tonight,” he said.

Nancy Olesen had already broken the news to her eight-year-old daughter, who enthusiastically recalled playing basketball with Julianna in the past.

Mother and daughter both blinked back tears as they reflected on the young girl’s death and the impact her loss will have on the family-oriented neighbourhood.

“There are tons of kids so they are always all playing together,” Olesen said. “… even if you don’t know the family super well, just the fact that you have kids, it really touches home.”

The Markham Synchro Club said Julianna had been one of its artistic swimmers.

“Julianna was a beautiful, aspiring athlete who was in her third year in our sport,” the club said in a statement. “This is a traumatic event for many of us and we are committed to working through this in a thoughtful and responsive manner.”

The York Region District School Board declined to confirm whether Julianna was a student, but board Director Louise Sirisko issued a statement saying the tragedy on the Danforth hit close to home.

“There are few words to adequately express the depth of sorrow that we feel,” she said in the statement. “Senseless acts of violence like these leave an imprint on our communities and weigh heavy on our hearts. We join families and communities in grieving for all those affected by this terrible incident.”

One of Donny Kozis’ high school friends set up a GoFundMe page on Wednesday to raise money to support the family.

At Markham City Hall, mourners gathered to sign a book of condolence for the family.

Local teacher Cindy Sisti was visibly emotional as she left her tribute.

“I hope that when the family gets a chance to read the messages, it will sink in and provide them some comfort,”she said. “The grief is shared by many.”

As the community tried to come to grips with the shooting, police and federal officials were offering reassurances that Sunday’s attack was not the work of terrorists.

Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders refuted claims from the Islamic State terrorist group that said the shooter was one of its “soldiers.”

Saunders said his force was investigating Sunday’s violence from every angle and had found nothing to indicate a connection to the group commonly known as ISIL.

The claim, made in a post on one of the group’s social media channels, asserted the attack came in response to the group’s calls to target citizens of the U.S-led coalition battling its activities abroad.

Saunders, however, issued a sharp denial.

“At this stage, we have no evidence to support these claims,” he said in a statement, adding that Toronto police would continue to “explore every investigative avenue” in its probe, which includes examining how the shooter obtained a gun.

A spokeswoman for federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale echoed Saunders, saying currently “there is no national security nexus” to the man behind the attack.

Hussain, who was found dead with a gunshot wound following an exchange of gunfire with police, was also not on any federal watchlists associated with national security, Goodale has said.

Hussain’s parents have said their son had severe mental health issues all his life and had not responded to treatment. Neighbours have said Hussain had a supportive family and did not show outward signs of mental illness.

Saunders said police will be interviewing those who knew Hussain, reviewing his online activity and “looking into his experiences with mental health.”

The other person killed in the shooting was Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who was preparing to study nursing at Hamilton’s McMaster University in the fall.

One of Fallon’s friends, Samantha Price, was injured in the shooting. Both worked at an east-end Loblaw’s store, the company said, adding that the shooter also worked as a part-time employee at a different location. 

A waiter at Mezes Restaurant on the Danforth was also among those injured, who were treated at three Toronto hospitals. Two of the injured remained in critical condition.

Michelle McQuigge and Gabriele Roy, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version had an incorrect name for Nancy Olesen.