3 Ghanaians Shot Dead in Canada in 17 Months – What’s Going On?

As someone who was born and raised in Ghana and has spent years traveling and talking to people across the world, I’ve always believed that safety is one of the most underrated privileges. You only realize how fragile it is when it’s taken from you, especially in a foreign land. That’s why the recent string of fatal shootings involving Ghanaians in Canada shook me to the core.

In just the past 17 months, three Ghanaians have been fatally shot in different parts of Canada. These are not stories from the news that you gloss over. These are sadly real lives with real dreams that were brutally cut short, and real families thrown into mourning.

Belinda Sarkodie

On July 11, 2025, Belinda Sarkodie, a 26-year-old Ghanaian student living in Hamilton, Ontario, was fatally shot while waiting at a bus stop. Belinda wasn’t involved in any fight. She wasn’t in a bad neighborhood. Her only crime was simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. A stray bullet instantaneously ended her life just like that! According to eyewitnesses, she was just about to go shopping. Now her name is forever on the list of lives lost to senseless violence.

I have interacted with many African students in Canada and I know how hard it is for them to be far from home. Many are juggling school, part-time jobs, and the weight of their families’ hopes back in Ghana. For Belinda, her dreams died with her that day.

Adu Boakye

Back in February 2024, another Ghanaian, Adu Boakye, was shot and killed in northwest Toronto. The circumstances were eerily similar. Another innocent man was just  gunned down like that in a city known globally for its peace and multiculturalism. There’s still little clarity about what happened or why, but the community mourned deeply. It felt like a blow to our collective sense of safety.

Alfred Okyere

These aren’t isolated events. Reports show that a third Ghanaian named Alfred Okyere was also killed in Canada during this 17-month period. Okyere was just 23 years old when on the 20th of January, 2025, his 53 year old co-worker (who goes by the name of Troy Francis Leclair) brutally stabbed him 17 times. He was subsequently rushed to hospital where he died. The horrible incident happened in Saskatchewan, Canada while Okyere was at work.

That’s three lives. Three funerals. Three families trying to come to terms with unbearable loss. And for me, it lets me know that no matter where you go in the world, danger can find you even when you’re just minding your own business.

Why Is This Happening?

Canada has long had a reputation for being a safe and welcoming country, and for the most part, that reputation still holds. But rising urban gun violence is becoming a serious concern, especially in large cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Hamilton.

What’s even more disturbing is that none of these Ghanaians were involved in crime or gang activity. These were innocent victims. They were innocent students, workers and everyday people. The kind of people you see on the bus. The kind of people who remind you of your cousin, your friend, your neighbor.

What Can Be Done?

Safety abroad is something we don’t talk about enough in Ghana. We focus so much on getting visas and traveling that we forget to discuss the risks involved. Whether it’s racism, random violence, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being a foreigner can come with its own set of dangers.

We need:

• Better safety awareness and orientation for Ghanaian students and migrants going abroad.
• More engagement from Ghana’s embassies and high commissions in countries like Canada.
• Stronger connections within diaspora communities so we can look out for one another.

These stories honestly broke my heart and I know I’m not alone. Every time we lose one of our own abroad, it’s not just a news headline. As someone who travels for a living, I know this reality well. I’ve seen peaceful cities and chaotic ones. I’ve walked safe streets and places where you had to watch your back.

So let’s not take safety for granted. Let’s remember Belinda Sarkodie, Adu Boakye, and Alfred Okyere. Let’s hold their families in our thoughts and push for the conversations that matter. Because every Ghanaian abroad deserves to feel safe. It doesn’t matter where they are in the world.

This article is part of a growing series on Explore With Kojo highlighting the untold challenges Ghanaians face abroad. Stay tuned for more real stories and reflections.