‘I don’t want him to be forgotten’ Grieving mom remembers ‘beautiful spirit’ as police charge fourth youth in son’s slaying
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/12/2022 (742 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Numb, empty, lost, angry and exhausted — these are just some of the words Tania Cayer uses to describe how she’s feeling after her son Tyree was stabbed to death inside Winnipeg’s Millennium Library.
The last few days have been like a blur for Cayer after her 28-year-old son was killed in an incident which has led to charges against four teenage boys, two as young as 14.
SUPPLIED Tyree Cayer and his mom Tania.
“I don’t want him to be forgotten,” Cayer said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I want him to be remembered as the beautiful spirit he was, and what he grew up to become despite his struggles. We all have struggles.
”This was a kid that did not have a bad life growing up. This could happen to anybody, and we need to love each other more and check in on each other more.”
City police announced Wednesday a 14-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter — bringing the total number of suspects to four. No additional arrests are anticipated.
Homicide unit detectives previously charged a 14-year-old boy with second-degree murder, and two others, 15 and 16, with manslaughter.
Cayer, 47, doesn’t think there will ever be justice for her son.
“I don’t have sympathy for these children,” she said of the suspects. “I’ve been around long enough to know the system fails us, especially for young people.”
Police haven’t told her what led to her son — a former high school football star who experienced mental health issues and homelessness — being assaulted and stabbed around 4:40 p.m. Sunday.
”This was a kid that did not have a bad life growing up. This could happen to anybody, and we need to love each other more and check in on each other more.”–Tania Cayer
She was informed the incident began in the library’s lobby and moved further inside, where an employee tried to help Tyree after he was stabbed.
“He did everything he could to save my son,” said Cayer. “I hope that man knows how much I appreciate him being there in my son’s last moments.”
Police said the suspects ran off after stabbing Tyree following a “verbal dispute.”
Cayer is struggling with unanswered questions about what happened to Tyree, whom she described as bright, funny, loyal, resilient and extremely talented in sports.
He believed in the good of others, but some people took advantage of his trusting and kind nature when he lived on his own or was homeless, she said.
Often, he helped others before helping himself.
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Cayer said Tyree was the type of person who would have gone out of his way to help the boys accused of killing him, if they were in need.
His death has sparked calls for action.
Cayer said there aren’t enough mental health supports for young people, and there are gaps when they “age out” of youth programs and can no longer access those services.
She hopes decision-makers commit to funding more programs and places to go.
“There’s a huge gap in the system, especially when it comes to child welfare,” she said. “A public place like the library shouldn’t have to be the drop-in.”
The library, at the corner of Donald Street and Graham Avenue, is closed while the city carries out a safety review.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Millennium Library will remain closed while the city carries out a safety review.
Cayer doesn’t believe metal detectors would have prevented her son’s death.
If people were intent on harming him but didn’t have a weapon, she said, they would have resorted to some other force.
A single mother, she raised her son with help from family and friends. He grew up around her work with city-based community outreach and crisis intervention agencies, which instilled his desire to help others.
A Youth for Christ mentor, who was like a father figure, helped mould him, said Cayer.
In his teens, Tyree starred on offence and defence for Elmwood High School’s football team. Teammates thought he was destined for a professional career, but injuries intervened.
Phil Hossack / Winnipeg Free Press Files Tyree (33) starred on offence and defence for Elmwood High School’s football team. Teammates thought he was destined for a professional career.
“Football gave him a place, and that’s where he thrived,” his mom said.
She said opposing teams knew they would have to shut down the high-scoring running back to win, making him a target on the field.
Tyree suffered multiple concussions, among other injuries, before he stopped playing in 2016 following a stint in Canada’s junior league with the Westshore Rebels in Langford, B.C.
“I’ve always truly believed that a lot of that had to do with his current state,” Cayer said of the concussions.
In adulthood, Tyree experienced mental health issues stemming from setbacks or trauma, including his injury-shortened football career and the 2017 death of his aunt, Chantelle (C.J.) Meyer, who was a best friend to him.
“The city took my sister, and now it took my son.”–Tania Cayer
Meyer’s death was difficult for the entire family. Cayer decided to move away from Winnipeg for her own mental health while grieving.
She has a complicated relationship with the city she once loved.
“The city took my sister, and now it took my son,” she said.
Cayer said she would have brought Tyree to her home in rural Manitoba, but he wanted to live life his way and make his own decisions.
Supplied Tyree Cayer and his aunt Chantelle (C.J.) Meyer, who died in 2017.
He was the kind of person who lived day by day, moment by moment, she said.
At the time of his death, he was living downtown in an apartment near Central Park. He visited places such as the Millennium Library to access the internet and send text messages to family and friends.
After police informed her of the homicide, Cayer visited her son’s apartment and found a kitten he rescued.
She took the cat home and named it Skittles Grape Drink, given her son’s love of the button-shaped candies and grape-flavoured beverages.
Cayer wants Manitobans to see her son for the person he was, rather than the city’s 51st homicide victim. His struggles don’t define him, she said.
“He’s not No. 51. He’s No. 33, and he will always be that,” she said, referring his football jersey number.
Cayer is grateful for the support of family, friends and strangers who’ve offered condolences or sent messages.
“It’s been overwhelming, but it’s what’s keeping my heart going right now,” she said.
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @chriskitching
Chris Kitching
Reporter
As a general assignment reporter, Chris covers a little bit of everything for the Free Press.
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History
Updated on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 6:13 PM CST: Updated with comment from mother
