18-year-old killed in downtown Kitchener shooting identified by family

A Kitchener family is mourning the loss of their son as police continue to search for his suspected killer.

Family members have identified Joshua Tarnue, 18, as the victim of a fatal shooting in downtown Kitchener Sunday night.

Police say officers responded to the area of Queen Street South and Charles Street around 10:20 p.m. on Sunday for reports of shots fired outside a business.

When they arrived, police found an 18-year-old Kitchener man with gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators believe the shooting was targeted.

“Joshua was a lovely kid. A very quiet, respectful kid,” father Gabriel Tarnue told CTV Kitchener.

“I passed by here last night and I saw the police. I didn’t know it was my son that was killed.”

Tarnue said the family moved to Kitchener from Liberia a few years ago.

“We come here to get a better life and all of a sudden, someone just takes it away,” he said.

“We’re still in a state of shock. Just imagine waking up in the morning and hearing such news. I went home and slept, and just got the news this morning.”

Joshua Tarnue, 18, has been identified by family members as the victim of a fatal shooting in downtown Kitchener on Sunday Aug. 13, 2023. (Submitted)

Tarnue said he learned a death had occurred in the area when he received a call from a family member on Monday morning, after they saw something on a community Facebook page.

“I’m so confused about it,” Tarnue said. “We are urging parents to encourage their children to stop gun violence.”

Tarnue's family and friends say it's a tragic example of why the issue needs more attention.

"We can't have our children being killed all the time," family friend Ralph Dagoseh said. "So enough is enough. The crime has to stop."

Part of a parking lot at the intersection of Queen and Charles street is seen cordoned off by police tape on Monday Aug. 14, the day after a fatal shooting in the area. (Chris Thomson/CTV Kitchener)

Police remain in the area Monday as they continue to canvass for information and witnesses as part of the homicide investigation.

“You’ll see an increased presence from members of our police service here," Insp. Kyle Lambert told reporters. "We’re also looking for the public – it was 10:20 last night, there’s still a lot of vehicle traffic that can come in this area – so we’re looking to see if they have dash cam footage, if they saw people in and around this area, running or moving around, we would look for them to contact us.”

Police say the suspect is described as a Black male with a thin build. He was last seen running from the Queen and Charles area, wearing jeans, a dark sweatshirt with a hood cinched tightly around his face, and a surgical mask.

If seen, police say the public should not approach him and instead call 911.

Police say this is the second homicide in Waterloo Region this year and the ninth shooting.