Family holds vigil for man killed in Hamilton police shooting

Hamilton’s Rwandan-Canadian community and family members of a man who was fatally shot by police Saturday held a vigil Thursday evening to mourn and demand answers for details surrounding his death.

Community members held a march and vigil at Hamilton City Hall at 6 p.m. in honour of 43-year-old Erixon Kabera.

During the vigil, Erixon’s family and the Rwandan-Canadian community spoke about their demands from Hamilton police and authorities in hopes to understand what happened on Nov. 9.

Hamilton police responded to an apartment building at 1964 Main St. West around 5 p.m. Saturday because a resident told them there was a man at their door believed to be in possession of a handgun.

Once on scene, Hamilton police said the incident on the fifth floor of the building led to one officer being transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while Kabera had been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at 12:47 a.m. Sunday.

WATCH MORE: 1 man dead, officer hurt after west Hamilton shooting

Conflicting reports from police services

The circumstances surrounding Kabera’s death became muddled following conflicting reports from Ontario’s top police watchdog and Hamilton police.

Hamilton police posted on X around 6:30 p.m. Saturday that an officer was injured after responding to the 911 call, where he was confronted by a man with a firearm.

Hamilton Police are investigating after an officer was injured after responding to a 911 call, where he was confronted by a male with a firearm.

The officer has been transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

An adult male has also been transported to hospital…

— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) November 9, 2024

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) initially reported around 10 p.m. that there was an exchange of gunfire and they invoked their mandate to investigate.

It clarified nearly 24 hours later that Kabera did not discharge a firearm, but rather two Hamilton police officers had fired their firearms and hit Kabera.

The SIU then confirmed with CHCH News on Monday that a replica firearm had been recovered from the scene.

Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen released a statement Wednesday, saying that after their initial social media post on Saturday, all information released since then was from the SIU.

Bergen further clarified that police did not say gunfire was “exchanged” and they did not release Kabera’s name.

WATCH MORE: Chief clarifies details of Saturday’s fatal Hamilton police shooting amid conflicting reports

‘We’re angry, we’re upset”

A friend of Kabera told CHCH News that the details of the incident needed to be more clear.

“We need transparency. We need accountability. We need information,” Josephine Murphy said in an interview with CHCH News Wednesday.

“We demand information and we deserve information so people know the Erixon that we know.”

According to Murphy and the community statement, Kabera was a father of three boys and was a “gentle soul.”

Kabera’s best friend Andy Ganza told CHCH News that Kabera had a history of bringing the Rwandan community together through “umugandas” – a Rwandan word that roughly translates to “coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome.”

“He liked to visit a lot of sites in Hamilton – not just for exercise but he just liked being outdoors – and he liked social events, he liked to organize social events,” he said.

Ganza says he and Kabera’s family will look for justice for Kabera and demand the truth from authorities.

“We’re angry, we’re upset – his death was sudden. It makes you ask questions, you want to know why it happened.”

In addition to the rally at city hall Thursday evening, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Kabera’s family.

WATCH MORE: ‘A gentle soul’: family friend speaks out after Hamilton police shooting kills man