'It's still fresh': Father of last bystander killed in Vancouver shooting reflects on daughter's death

Bruce Davis says reading the news about the shooting death of 15-year old Alfred Wong brings painful memories.

Wong was hit by gunfire at the intersection of Broadway and Ontario on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 13 as he drove to dinner with his parents.

Prior to Wong's death, Davis' daughter Rachel was the last bystander to be shot in Vancouver according to the Vancouver Police Department.

In January 2004 the 23-year-old tried to stop a group of men from assaulting a teenage boy outside of a Gastown nightclub called the Purple Onion, and was shot.

"No kidding, it brings it back," he said, speaking from his home in Victoria. "I'm just so sorry that it happened."

Still, Bruce said, the randomness of Rachel's death is never far from his mind.

"I'm glad that it's still fresh. I don't want it to go away."

Months of research

In the years after his daughter died, Davis spent months researching the issue of guns and gang-related violence, speaking to law enforcement, prosecutors, and criminal justice system experts.

"I had to do something, you know. But you've got to do your homework and make sure you have all the facts, so that when you do speak, it means something," he said.

Davis said ultimately, after all his legal and criminal research, he believes the prevention of violence rests with parents.

"The glorification of gun culture is something that's seething away in the background. They think it's cool to be in that lifestyle," he said."Young people act out for very good reasons, and gang activity is an extreme form of that."

He also urged parents to put their phones down, and talk to their children directly.

"Even if it's dysfunctional communication, go out and communicate dysfunctionally. Because family's all you have," he said.

'Life compressed into a moment'

Davis is an award-winning musician. His wife, Janet Wright, who passed away in 2016, was an actress well-known for her work on the popular Canadian show Corner Gas.

In the months and years that followed their daughter's death, the couple worked hard to keep Rachel's legacy alive.

They started a foundation in her name, that gave out annual awards to people "honouring the spirit of Canadian youth." Davis also wrote a song to his daughter that he called "Dancing into eternity."

Thirteen years later, Davis is still moved to tears when talking about his daughter.