Hamilton seems to move on as community grieves shooting death of Erixon Kabera

A little girl has grabbed the attention of a McDonald’s employee with her jingle bell bracelet; her brother exuberantly tells the worker that their family is having lunch just before that afternoon’s Santa Claus parade. At the very end of that same restaurant right next to the washrooms, another family has just found the only available seats. Dressed in immaculate pressed black suits, this family, politely speaking French to one another, has just left the visitation session of Erixon Kabera, a beloved community member who was shot and killed by police on Nov. 9. 

On Nov. 14, hundreds of protesters gathered outside of Hamilton City Hall, before marching to police headquarters, chanting, “no justice, no peace” in response to  Kabera’s death. 

While most of the city seems to have moved on, for the local Rwandan community Kabera was part of, the journey of grief is only starting as they mourn the sudden loss of a father of three.

Andy Ganza, who called Kabera his best friend, said they shared similar interests. When Kabera moved to Hamilton from Toronto, Ganza found they had several mutual friends and exchanged numbers. He’d lived in Hamilton for several years and wanted to help Kabera. 

Ganza said the two friends were supposed to meet the day of Kabera’s shooting death by police. Coming from his government job, Ganza drove through heavy traffic obstructed by police presence both ways until he finally got around the building, where tape and police blocked his path. It was supposed to be a casual hang out, so when he got no answer after calling several times, he texted him and decided to leave and wait for Kabera’s response. 

“I had thought that maybe he was just taking a nap or maybe he had fell asleep,” said Ganza.

He later learned that Kabera was in the hospital undergoing surgery. The doctors were unable to save him, and Kabera died the day after the shooting. Ganza says he will most miss the times they planned sightseeing trips together. He continues to monitor an online fundraiser he started (with Kabera’s brother as the beneficiary), which he said will cover funeral expenses and legal fees as the family searches for answers.

Kizito Musabimana, the executive director of the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre (RCHC), said Kabera first reached out to him when he was bringing awareness to the post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by some Rwandan Canadians experienced after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They later worked on developing the RCHC where Kabera was treasurer and later an advisor.

Musabimana said he was still in bed when his community group chats began sending condolences. At first he didn’t realize that the misspelled name “Erikson” was referring to his friend, but once he realized it was Kabera, he was in disbelief.

“When something like this happens to one of us, it hits bigger than just gun violence in the community. It actually brings out the trauma a lot of us have already experienced in our lives,” said Musabimana.

He said the community quickly rallied to decide how to move forward, including planning the Nov. 14 protest march in Hamilton, and another in Montréal for Nov. 24. The RCHC plans to develop a fund in his honour.

Lohifa Pogoson Acker said she met Lydia Nimbeshaho, with whom Kabera shares three sons, during the pandemic. Acker said Kabera was planning to leave for Montréal the day after the shooting to work with his uncle on a business venture. She’s been in touch with Nimbeshaho since, praying together in the early mornings.

“The violence that did not consume him in Rwanda during the genocide, somehow violence in Hamilton consumed him,” said Acker.

Nimbeshaho said she was flying with their three sons on Nov. 21 to Rwanda for Kabera’s burial. Calling in between flights, she said they have not been able to rest well and have had little time to grieve. She said the funeral home would transport Kabera’s body to Rwanda on Nov. 28 and the burial would take place on Nov. 29. They’ve found a lawyer they want to work with to continue to get answers from Hamilton police.

Nimbeshaho said they are still struggling with how Kabera’s death has disrupted the lives of so many he touched. Their eldest son is in his last year of high school and planning for higher education, but he is leaving a pivotal year of school to fly to Rwanda with his mother and brothers. People have come to visit her home and stayed late, leaving early to return to work. Meanwhile, their family in Rwanda are persistently asking for updates and anxious to understand why this all happened to their son. 

“The impact of what the police has done, they don’t understand how it shakes everybody,” said Nimbeshaho.