‘A very sad day’: Hundreds gather at funeral for Montreal-area teen killed by police

More than 1,000 people came to pay their respects at a mosque in Brossard, Que., Thursday morning for 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi, who was killed by police on Sunday just minutes from his home.

“It was a young boy, a baby, like his father used to call him, so the community’s very sad,” said Nadim Ladha on Thursday.

• Community mourns 15-year-old killed in Longueuil police intervention; demonstrations planned

Rezayi’s funeral was held at the mosque he used to attend regularly. He was shot by a Longueuil police officer during an intervention near the corner of Joseph-Daigneault and Monaco streets.

Police were called to the area after receiving reports of allegedly armed individuals walking in the area.

Witnesses previously told CTV News that Rezayi was with a group of youths who were apparently planning to film a video in the woods.

Those who attended the ceremony on Thursday said the killing was a tragedy that shouldn’t have ever happened and that the ceremony was a “very emotional” one.

A memorial at the site where it happened continues to grow. Four days after the shooting, friends continue to stop by.

“This happened to a young person who hasn’t even seen what the world is offering him, or how the world is,” one of them said.

Quebec’s police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), is investigating the shooting while the officer who opened fire has been placed on indefinite leave.

“We have a lot of respect for the job of the police that they are doing across Quebec. But in this special case, the community and the family — we need some more explanation," one mourner said.

The turnout at the funeral was indicative of how much Rezayi’s death has affected the community.

“It’s a very tight-knit community, so everybody is rallying around the family right now to provide them with the support that they need, so it’s a very sad day,” Ladha said.

Demonstrations have been planned for this weekend to honour Rezayi. On Saturday, his friends will march through the neighbourhood, with a stop at the police station before ending at his home.

Another demonstration is scheduled for Sunday.