Farewell to Rueshad Grant shadowed by unanswered questions
By: Alyshah Hasham, From The Star
Safety at Caribbean carnival should have been improved before he was born, mother of the 18-year-old killed by a parade float says on the eve of his funeral.
Questions continue to haunt the family and friends who gathered Friday at a visitation to mourn the death of Rueshad Alfred Grant.
How did the 18-year-old end up crushed beneath a truck during the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival parade?
Why did the truck driver stop when the crowd yelled at him to do so, then continue on, doing more injury, according to witnesses?
Where were the needed crowd control and safety measures, such as protective truck plates to keep revellers safely away from the wheels?
The investigation into the Mississauga teen’s death continues, but police have said Grant was walking beside a flatbed truck carrying dancers and a DJ when he was somehow pulled beneath the wheels.
His death has sparked a safety review by the carnival organizers and calls for better safety measures.
But any changes should have been made before her son was even born, said Shaundel Grant.
There have been incidents involving people hurt by the carnival trucks “20 years ago, six years ago. Did my son have to die to make it safer?” she wondered.
At the visitation at a Brampton funeral home Friday afternoon, Shaundel placed a rose on her son’s body in the casket, dressed in blue and white, including his favourite Blue Jays ball cap.
Friends and family wore shirts emblazoned with his photo and nickname, “Young Gunna.”
Grant was a go-getter, said his stepfather, Robert Grant. “He always wanted to be a chef.”
His specialty was sesame seed chicken — although, his mother added, he always asked her to make the rice.
And he loved music and dancing. “He’d wake me up singing in my face,” said Shaundel. But he was also the mature one, the one who “kept his brothers and sisters in line” and made sure she wasn’t stressing out.
Grant was the third eldest of 10 siblings, and a beloved uncle. Friends say he was the kind of guy you could never stay mad at.
His first tattoo said, “Family first.”
“He kept this family together,” says Robert, who has helped raise Grant since he was 2.
“He gave and gave and gave,” said Grant’s younger brother Lamar. “Even if he didn’t have anything, he’d still give you half.”
The 18-year-old had finally had the growth spurt he’d been waiting for, recalled his grandmother, Irone Grant. She noticed it on Thursday when he dropped by — the last time she saw him.
Grant was with friends and siblings on the Saturday he died. It was the first year he had attended the festival without his parents, says Robert.
Grant’s funeral [was at] 11 a.m. Saturday at the New Life Community Church in Brampton.
All funeral expenses are being covered by his mother and stepfather’s side of the family, says Robert. A statement to the media asking for financial assistance for the funeral from the city and carnival organizers was not made by them.
As they wait for answers, the family is adamant that measures be taken to make the carnival safer.
If they aren’t, the whole event should be cancelled, they say.
“We will not rest,” say his aunt and sister in unison. “We want closure.”
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Related story:
Family remembers teen run over by Carnival parade float
By: Andrea Lawson From NewsTalk 1010
A funeral for the teen who died when he was run over by a float at the Caribbean Carnival festival was held Sayurday (24). The Brampton funeral home was filled with mourners.
Rueshad Grant was buried in blue and white. ON his head, he wore his favorite baseball hat – a Blue Jays caps. Blue shoes, blue ribbons and blue baseball caps could be seen throughout the room. The pallbearers wore blue vests.
Family and friends painted a picture of the 18-year-old as a gifted, intelligent and sensitive person. One who was admired and loved dearly and one who will be missed.
His brother Kadeem Grant spoke briefly at the service. “I know you guys are in a lot of pain but you guys could never feel the pain I have,” he said. He called himself his brother’s keeper.
Family spoke about his desire to be a chef and his love of soccer.
The day was about celebrating the teen’s life but it was hard to forget the circumstances surrounding his death. There are still many unanswered questions about that day.
The family’s lawyer Rishi Singh is appealing for witnesses to come forward. “There were a lot of individuals that were there. The parade was huge,” he said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
Once they know what exactly happened and who was responsible for what, Singh says the family will look for justice from the parties involved.
But for Rueshad’s father, Devon Grant, the lawsuit is the last thing on his mind right now. “I’m just really trying to get my son buried,” he said.
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