A few weeks ago, a pleasant evening of gaming was rudely interrupted by what sounded like a fight just outside my window. I looked outside to see 3 shadows involved in conflict. The two younger looking figures appeared to be picking a fight with an older gentleman and eventually did jump him a cowardly manner. I jumped out of my seat and headed down the stairs but another local resident beat me to it, chasing the young hooligans away. Within minutes, residents from several buildings were swarming the street, flagging down an ambulance (which was remarkably slow despite multiple 911 calls) and falling over each other to give statements to police. Though most of us only knew each other in passing, we were united by a profound disdain for lawlessness in our middle-class / working-class corner of the GTA.
In other words, our response was a far cry from the recent mayhem in the city’s east end.
Last week, the body of 17 year old Omar Wellington was found in a wooded area close to his Flemingdon Park home. Wellington was stripped to his underwear, severely beaten and later stabbed several times. Like the assault in my neighborhood, Wellington’s beating was also witnessed by many residents. However, instead of intervening or alerting authorities, residents simply went inside and looked the other way. The Toronto Star reported that some residents even came outside to alert mothers to bring their children inside to avoid becoming witnesses. Investigators believe the silence is out of fear of retribution from the assailants, who are rumored to live in the area.
As Wellington was laid to rest over the weekend, several mourners (including Omar’s mother) wondered aloud why neighbors didn’t have the courage or decency to contact police or call for help. According to the police, a significant amount of time –possibly 22 hours- elapsed between the time of the beating and the discovery of Wellington’s body.
At first glance, Wellington’s death and the apparent apathy from local residents does appear to be symptomatic of Toronto’s cultural decline. The ‘hood mentality has taken over in many quarters – youths wear t-shirts embroidered with the phrase “Stop Snitchin†while adults live in fear of exercising the moral authority that would have been expected in previous generations.
However there are three aspects to this case that don’t quite fit the “bad neighborhood†cliché:
- Flemingdon Park has a checkered history but it is far from the worst neighborhood in Toronto. According to the Toronto Star, only 1 of last year’s 78 murders (Tate Best) occurred in the region.
- There was no gunplay involved in the attack. Groups of youths brawling can be found in virtually any neighborhood. Depending on the observers’ distance from the mêlée, a 6 on 1 fight could have looked like a 4 on 3 fight. In a rougher neighborhood, such a conflict would not have necessarily earned a call to police.
- Even in their beatified recollection after death, friends and relatives of Omar Wellington were forced to admit his checkered past. Most importantly, Wellington was fingered for a robbery that occurred shortly before the beating took place.
Hence neighborhood fear is but one possible explanation. It’s also possible that residents saw a fight in progress (which may be irregular in your neighborhood but not necessarily theirs) and didn’t want to get involved in case it escalated into something serious. It’s possible that Omar Wellington’s prior criminal activity won him enemies and some residents were happy to see him receive street justice.
Hopefully the media doesn’t let this story slide away. The outcome should be fairly interesting.
Update: Arrests Made in Killing of Omar Wellington
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i think you people have made flemo seem like to much of a dangerous neighbourhood. Flemo is a great and safe place to live. Its just like other neighbourhoods. and sure incidents happen here butnot on a everyday basis. “It’s also possible that residents saw a fight in progress (which may be irregular in your neighborhood but not necessarily theirs)” this is extreme exageration. I have been living in flemo for about 5yrs and i have not seen many fights compared to all those you hear in the news.
Barly anyone really knew Omar and all the shit that gwans in Flemo is what put omar into early grave 1 month before his 18 birth day. He knew that flemo was dangerous he even said that the way things were he wouldnt live to see 18 and he didnt .I suppose he knew. But the senseless vilonce is what is robbing the worlds youth of their lives. I loved him so much but he’ll never know that now will he. Personally I hate those who killed him I hate those “didnt snitch” even more …I hope that the residents of Flemington park can live with the death of child on the conscience!
people who witnessed omar being beat and didnt do anything are cowards, da manz dat werent with him werent real niggaz, dey claim dey boyz but wen shyt hit tha fan no one waz dere! i hope dat who ever did this has a gulity concience and gets merked to BLOODCLOTT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its only a matter of time before dey r next!
For all those claiming that those who witnessed the beating of Omar Wellington and didn’t call the police are cowards, well they don’t live here so they really can’t say anything. I mean ever since Omar died Three people have been shot in the face in this same neighborhood. one of them was a friend of my mom and they didn’t even put it on the news. The areas crazy man. almost every other night I hear gunshots but I don’t do nothing because it doesn’t involve me. I mean look at that girl who got shot in the building across from the center while she was sitting in her car. what did she do wrong? who knows. or the women that got shot in her face the other day at the Flemingdon Plaza. I read in the newspaper that ten minutes after the guy shot the lady he tried to shoot a security guard who saw him smashing a lobby door to get into one of the buildings. All I’m saying is until you live here and experience certain things you can’t judge people for wanting to protect themselves and minding their own business. and as far as that stat claiming that only one murder happened this year in this neighborhood, it’s false. try more like four not to mention like six other shootings
pay backs a BITCH its like 123 ur outta here
i just want know whyyyy the fuck they killed my lil bro??? there r people who seen wat happend and did nouthin i have 2 kids and if there was somthing i could of dun this would never happen. all u ppl need to look at them kids and say…WHAT IF IT WAS MY KID, MY ONLY BABY BOY?…if u have kids and u seen wat happend and did nouthin dont watch dat cause somthin will happen to 1 of your kids and then u would wish u did somthin…RIP Omar and i know u r lookin over me and all dem fools dat did u up..THEY WILL GET WHAT THEY ARE LOOKIN 4 AND ITZ MY WORD!!!!!!!!!!
r^i^p to muh niggaa Omar, for real i kno omar from the streets of brampton and i styll cant belive dis shyt happen. but he had to have got killed for a reason, omar dont have a price over his head from wen i knew him liven in my city. he was a straight up kat who liked to bun the chronic and drink the liquor, true say he liked to schem robberys w/e and dats wut i think got him killed. we use gook dealers on the corner for there shyt , btu knowin flemo park and wit its reputation i can see how the streets can wanna do sumtin to omar wen hes by him self doin his ting….RIP to my muther fuckin nigga Omar ya heard me, niggaz goina bust bak belive dat
WE WILL NEVER FORGET U, WHOEVER DID THIS IS GOINA PAY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
R.I.P Omar..U waz a good person furreal..everyone who remembers u from brampton knows it 2..Well miss u.
lol bitch is dead he got wat he wanted fo startin shyt down here and for his sister and x gf u can suck my nuts
Does anyone know what ACTUALLY happened? (beyond what the media is telling us). You can put it here or you can email me if you want to stay anonymous. (admin@…)
flemo is fucked.
Brothers wonder “why i can’t get none”.
It’s because you don’t deserve it bitch.
get respect for yourself and the rest will follow.
People need to get their shit together man.
from a original man who grow up in flemo is not the same we had unity we were loyal to one another but now everybodies playin the fields different instead of inforcin our laws like we had no outsiders we let outsides in now the park is dead everybody sold old for vanity they all bow down to the devil instead of search out the almight n his peace they choose no peace so descrution is apon the park the evil doers were let in now we all shall suffer for it. signin off venom h-blocks heavy hitter streetlife.
like xxx xxx sed pay backs a BITCH its like 123 ur outta here and dats for u omar ur outta here u like punk ass bitch
All you assholes who say Omar deserved this are twisted and not in a good way. A true thug deals with his business in a professional manner. You don’t stab someone 30 times and torture and humiliate him. You take care of things quickly and quietly.
That said, nobody deserves to be killed by another man unless maybe he molested someones child or raped his girl. This wasn’t justice, it was weak-kneed kids tryen to get a rep. Send them over the fight in Afghanistan or Iraq and they’ll piss they’re pants once they see some real badass shit. I bet if you met one of those murderin kids in the street by themself, without people surrounding him, he’d run like a coward if you challenged him.
No respect.