'I'm a lost soul': Mother of Sheridan Mall shooting victim speaks out at vigil

The North York mall where Jovane Clark was fatally shot earlier this week was transformed into a vigil Sunday night as family and friends gathered to remember the 22-year-old who police say was targeted.

It was still daylight when Clark had arrived at the Sheridan Mall in the Jane Street and Wilson area Thursday, parking his car at the south side of the plaza. That's when four men approached and at least two opened fire, chasing Clark into the mall where he died as horrified shoppers ran for cover.

• Man in 20s dead after being shot in the head at Sheridan Mall: Toronto paramedics
• Victim of 'very violent' Sheridan mall shooting targeted by four men: police

Clark's mother Althea McDonald told reporters Sunday she had no idea why anyone would target her son.

"My body's still numb from everything that they did to my son," she said."It's an awful, awful feeling. No parent should ever go through this."

Motive not yet determined

Clark, she said, was supposed to be heading off to college soon.

"I'm a lost soul," McDonald said."I'm going from here and going to start to plan my son's funeral when I should be planning his next move."

Paramedics told CBC Toronto on Thursday Clark was shot in the head and pronounced dead on scene.

Investigators have not yet determined a motive and are still trying to identify the four suspects.

On Saturday, just days after Clark's death, came another fatal shooting, this time of 34-year-old Awad Hurre, again with four suspects in Rexdale.

Police have not connected the two victims in any way, but aren't ruling out the possibility of a link between the perpetrators.

'There are similarities,' says detective

"We can't overlook the fact that there are similarities between the two," Toronto Police Det. Paul Worden told reporters Sunday.

"The manner in which the two victims were killed was overkill in both cases. The way they positioned themselves over the two victims was very similar, so we are looking into that. Both victims resided in the Tandridge Crescent area," he said, adding that there remains no physical evidence that could conclusively link the two incidents.

• Police identify Rexdale homicide victim, appeal to taxi driver for information

Meanwhile, as those who gathered at the mall grieved Clark's loss, Toronto-area pastor Keaton Austin told reporters he plans to approach the mayor and the premier to call for stiffer penalties for firearms and tighter gun laws.

"This is not right, we need to address the gun problems," he said.

"A person's life is lost and I'm sad to say that I feel sorry for whoever took the young man's life because if they knew God, they wouldn't do that."