Montreal gun victim was 'handsome child': mom

The mother of a Montreal man shot dead on the weekend says her son was a good person trying to turn his life around after a brush with the law but hewas never a gang member, despite police allegations.

Charlene Hunte spoke out about her deceased son Andrew,a "beautiful, handsome child,"after reports suggested he may be tied to gang activity in downtown Montreal.

"Andrew [was] not involved in a gang," and to suggest he was is racial profiling, she affirmed in an interview with CBC News.

The 22-year old was doting big brother to her younger sons and was helping her raise them while being a father to his three-year old girl, Hunte said. "He stepped in as the father figure, and he had his own daughter to father. He never left them out."

He was also involved with hisparish the Imani Family Full Gospel Church and coached its basketball team, she said.

"He worked out at the gym that's where he got his size from and he maintained that. He brought the kids to choir practice on Saturday evenings."

Andrew Hunte had recently reunited with his estranged father after a 13-year absence and was looking forward to the future.

Hunte was killed by gunfire early Sunday morning near Concordia University's downtown campus, after a fight broke out.

Preliminary police reports suggested the shooting may have been linked to gang violence.

Back in school, looking for work

Hunte had served a year in prison for assault, but since his release was back in school, looking for work, and "juggled everything," his mother said.

Since his release, police were quick to label him a gang member, and ticket him for minor offences, she said, even though he "paid his debt to society."

"He came out, and he was accosted [by police] every time [there was trouble]. He never had a day of peace with the police."

She believes the cops are trying to link the shooting to gang activity because Andrew was from the Little Burgundy district, which historically has been home to Montreal's working-class, English-speaking black community.

"Any time there's any kind of crime in our community, it is related to gangs," she said.

It's a familiar scenario, said former Union United minister Reverend Darryl Gray. Police label shootings involving black people as gang-related, without doing the proper checks.

"So what it continues to do is paint all these kids from this community with one brush," said Gray, who is godfather to Hunte's three-year old daughter. "It's also guilt by association."

Montreal police maintain the shooting is connected to gang activity, and wouldn't make that kind of allegation if it was unfounded, said spokesman Yannick Ouimet.