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By Azara Lavia
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For Ras Richie Freeman, the deaths of two members of the Rastafarian community in Tuesday’s shooting at Creek Side have left a painful void.
The longtime Rastafarian, who is associated with the Foundation for Unification in Rastafari, remembers Brother Italis and Sister Yezidi as peaceful, caring people whose lives touched many in the community.
Freeman, who knew both victims for years, described Italis as a humble, quiet man who was always willing to lend a helping hand.
He called Italis a rock within the Big Creek community and the Rastafari nation. “Very helpful. He’s an ear, he will listen to you, he will help you,” Freeman recalled.
He spoke just as warmly about Yezidi, whom he had watched grow from a little girl into a young woman with a promising future.
Freeman said she had already begun taking on leadership responsibilities within the Rastafarian community, making her death particularly difficult to accept.
“Her whole future was ahead of her, of course,” he said, reflecting on the opportunities now lost.
According to police reports, the victims, a 49-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, were shot in Creek Side on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said a silver Honda CR-V carrying several occupants stopped outside a shop sometime between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. More than one armed occupant reportedly got out of the vehicle and opened fire.
Both victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Freeman recalled being in the community when news of the shooting began circulating. Phone calls started coming in, prompting him to contact others to find out what had happened.
Like many who knew the victims, he initially held on to hope.
“Even when I heard that they went to the hospital, I had a lot of faith, hoping that they would both pull through,” he recalled.
But as confirmation of their deaths emerged, the reality became increasingly difficult to process.
Freeman said returning to familiar places in the community, where he would normally encounter the two, brought home the painful reality of their absence.
Beyond the personal loss, he believes the tragedy should prompt serious reflection on the direction of society and the need to rebuild stronger communities.
He questioned the loss of a time when elders freely guided young people, even those who were not their own children.
“We just need to respect society more in terms of living as a community, being your brother’s keeper,” he said.
Freeman believes more must be done to create spaces where people can gather, communicate openly and support one another.
He also called for greater investment in wellness, arguing that addressing the challenges facing communities requires more than traditional approaches.
“The system in itself is failing or has failed and we need to regroup as a society,” he said.
For now, his immediate concern remains the grieving families and a Rastafarian community struggling to come to terms with the loss of two of its own.
Freeman extended his condolences and promised that the families would not have to face their grief alone.
“I just want to let the family know. Iman, Ras Richie and the whole Rastafari community is there. We’re going to be by your side for as long as it is needed.”