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The identities of the two Nigerian men who were shot dead on Saturday by gunmen at the ATL Lounge in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, have been revealed.
According to a GoFundMe account opened by one Adam Abdul, who claims to be a cousin to one of them, the men are Chibueze Momah (22), and Tosin Awaroshegbe (25).
Abdul wrote, “Eze and Tosin were both diligent workers who served as security guards for many lounges in Vaughan. They were loved and cherished by many in the community. Their story was only getting started as they had both recently graduated. Eze was set to make his way into the tech industry and Tosin our beloved engineer. Unfortunately, their time was cut short. It is our hope to raise $50,000 for each respective family to help with funeral costs and to reunite their bodies with their families.”
Also, a Twitter user @DrFunmilayo, confirmed their identities, adding that she was close to Tosin because they grew up together.
“He had just completed his Masters and was working as a security guard to make extra cash. He was only doing his job when he got killed. I only met Eze about two weeks ago in Canada. He was such a sweet guy. When I heard Tosin got shot, I texted Eze to find out if he was okay, only to find out that Eze was shot as well. They both died on the spot,” she tweeted.
Bullet holes can be seen through the front door of the ATL Lounge in #Vaughan where a 25-year-old & a 22-year-old man were fatally shot around 3:30 Saturday. Friends say the victims worked as security guards here. A 20 year old woman was also wounded. @YRP still on scene pic.twitter.com/NN5cHPY2cZ
— Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) July 25, 2022
The York Regional Police, in a statement signed by one Constable Maniva Armstrong, revealed that a 20-year-old female was hospitalised after the shooting.
The statement read, “On Saturday, July 23, 2022, at approximately 3.30am, York Regional Police responded to a nightclub in the area of Highway 7 and Keele Street for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived at the scene, they located three victims with gunshot wounds.
“A 25-year-old male and a 22-year-old male were pronounced deceased at the scene.
“A 20-year-old female victim was transported to hospital suffering from a serious gunshot wound. The victim is currently recovering in hospital.
“The suspect(s) fled the scene prior to police arriving.
“Officers are appealing to any witnesses who may have been in the area or in the establishment at the time who have not yet spoken to police to please come forward.
“Investigators are also seeking any cell phone video or photographs from inside or outside the establishment, video surveillance from the area, or anyone that may have captured dashcam video on the roadways.”
“Investigators learned the two deceased victims were employed as security guards for ATL Lounge and the female victim was a patron inside,” York police said in a media release.
“An altercation took place in the lounge that led to the shooting. Investigators believe this was a targeted incident.”
Serena Idahagbon, a friend of Amos-Arowoshegbe, told Global News he came to Canada to study and work as an engineer.
The pair grew up together in Nigeria, she said. Amos-Arowoshegbe came to Canada within the past two years to study at Centennial College.
He recently turned 25 years old and graduated from college.
“On his graduation, you can see the writing on whatever he is holding which says, ‘A world of possibilities awaits you,’” Idahagbon said. “Everyone is posting their pictures (saying) rest in peace and I am like, where are those possibilities now?”
Shiri Gabriel, who taught Amos-Arowoshegbe, said he was one of her “most committed” students.
“He had a plan — he had big plans for himself; he took his coming to Canada very seriously,” she told Global News.
On Saturday, York Regional Police said the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. He is described as a thin-built man in his 20s seen wearing a white shirt.
Police are looking to speak to witnesses and have asked anyone with cellphone or surveillance video footage to come forward to help with the investigation.
Funmilayo Idahagbon, Serena’s sister, visited Amos-Arowoshegbe in Toronto in July during a trip to the city for an exam.
She told Global News, “He left Nigeria for a better life in Canada.”
She said he had never complained about ATL Lounge, where he worked as a security guard to earn some extra money on the side of his education.
“He never said anything about being in trouble or anything like that … he never said anything bad about the place to me,” she said.