Slain Mississauga teen remembered by friend's dad as 'very nice and kind'

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The Montreal father of a childhood friend of Issaih Junger, the 18-year-old shot to death on Feb. 6 in Toronto in the Lansdowne Ave.-Bloor St. W. area, remembered the teen as “very nice and kind.”

Frederic Amblard, a veteran set designer in the movie industry currently working on the Apple TV series Foxtrot, said his son, 18, grew up with Junger at Helene-Boulle Primary School in Montreal.

“I think it was five years,” said Amblard. “I think they met when they were four. He came to my house and there was some birthday parties and stuff like that, so I met him then. And also later on he went to a soccer club where my son used to go — Panellinios Soccer Club — so they played soccer together. And also after he went to Mont Saint Louis Private College, (my son) was there, too, and then for some reason Issaih was expelled from that school and I think afterward he went to the public school in the same neighbourhood.”

Amblard said the boys lost touch in their early teens, but he’ll always remember Junger as “very nice and kind, very typical young guy. No problem, no nothing.

“I think at some point my son and him had not the same interests, not the same friends, so they lost touch,” said Amblard. “The last time I met his father was before COVID, like four years ago, and it was the time when he was probably leaving the private school to go to the public school. And because of my work I had to move (around), so I lost touch completely.”

Amblard said that when he read about Junger’s death, “It was a shock because I knew him. And second of all it’s in Toronto, so I’m wondering, ‘What is he doing there?’ When you die by bullet, it’s very strange. It’s more mysterious than anything.”

Amblard’s daughter, his son’s twin, also knew Junger from primary school.

“(My kids) were shocked,” he said.

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Toronto Police haven’t released any more information since identifying Junger, saying he was from Mississauga and that he was shot around 1:28 a.m. and later died in a hospital.

Some eyewitnesses said they saw four people fighting and heard two gunshots.

Toronto Police said another man in his 20s walked into a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries at about the same time as the fatal shooting, but it’s not yet confirmed if the two incidents were related.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or 222tips.com.