John O'Keefe Tribute

John O'Keefe, a 42-year-old father, was walking home along Yonge Street after a night at his favourite bar when he was shot and killed by a stray bullet early Saturday.

Police have charged two men with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the city's second homicide of the year.

Homicide investigators say two men were ejected by bar staff after 1 a.m. after a fight inside the Brass Rail, a strip club on Yonge Street. Both started walking away, but soon turned around.

One of the men fired at the front of the strip club where a number of people stood, police said. Mr. O'Keefe was walking by and was shot in the head.

"He was just passing by in the area on the sidewalk," Detective Graham Gibson said yesterday. "It's always disconcerting when an innocent person gets struck down."

The suspects fled on foot but were arrested later in the day. The handgun used in the shooting was legally registered to one of the accused, Det. Gibson said. Neither of the accused is known to police.

Mr. O'Keefe's loved ones believe he was headed to the subway from The Duke of Gloucester when he died. He had been going to that pub with friends since his student days at the University of Toronto, where he received a degree in biology.

"It's a walk we all do and I think that's why we're so shocked that something like this could take a good friend of ours away -- something he had nothing to do with whatsoever," said Kim Ingrao-Banahan, a close friend of Mr. O'Keefe's.

She met him six years ago at a birthday party at the Artful Dodger pub, just around the corner from The Duke; she sized up the 6-foot-2 man with the out-going, big personality and thought he was the perfect match for her sister-in-law, Susan Banahan (seen above with Mr. O'Keefe).

"He was very fun, laid back. He was very understanding," Ms. Banahan said last night.

"I loved him so dearly.... He was my man."

Mr. O'Keefe grew up in Scarborough. His parents were school teachers for the Toronto District School Board. He managed a health foods store in the Exchange Tower and spent his weekends with his friends, his family and his nine-year-old son, Iain.

His friends say he loved Toronto and took Iain on adventures in the city, such as explorations of the Don Valley.

"John was the kind of person who would go on walking tours of Toronto because he was fascinated by the history of the city. You could ask him anything about the city and he would be able to tell you," Ms. Ingrao-Banahan said.

"He was a good person and he didn't deserve that. The whole city should be in shock because there were 10 or 15 people on the street. It could have been anyone of those people, it could have been you, it could have been me."

Edward Paredes, 22, of Toronto and Awet Zekarias, 23, appeared briefly in court at Old City Hall yesterday and were remanded.