14-year-old dies in ‘strangulation incident’ in Oshawa mall parking lot

A Whitby family’s lives were tragically altered last week when their 14-year-old son was reportedly found strangled by his seatbelt in the Oshawa Centre parking lot. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Foul play is not suspected, according to a statement from Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy.

The Mareer family said they went to the mall on Aug. 16 to do some back-to-school shopping and left Subhan, 14, in the van while they shopped.

“Our son hated shopping, like most boys his age, and chose to wait in the car,” wrote his mother, Syed, in a social media post. She said her son promised to practice his lines for an upcoming play at the Whitby Library.

Subhan Mareer was found strangled, with his seatbelt wrapped around his neck.

“We have no idea what happened and are in shock (and) desperate for answers,” Syed said online.

The post, shared on the Downtown Oshawa site and other threads, got plenty of traction and not all of it positive, forcing Downtown Oshawa administrator Robert Bell to turn off comments and remove similar posts.

Bell, who was at the mall that day and saw the emergency vehicles arriving, said he decided to turn off comments after talking to a friend of the family.

Another friend, Nabila Shamsheri, is organizing a fundraiser for the family, whose lives were “turned upside down” by the tragedy.

When the family returned to their car at 5:30 p.m. that Friday, Subhan was found “in a critical state,” Shamsheri said, with his body showing signs of oxygen deprivation. A passerby was able to cut the seatbelt, and emergency services rushed Subhan to Oshawa Hospital before he was transferred to Sick Kids in Toronto. After lapsing into a coma for several days, he was pronounced dead.

“Subhan is a remarkable young man who is kind, intelligent, and dedicated. He was supposed to complete memorizing the Quran soon and was known for his gentle nature and IT skills. My own children are heartbroken, having just played with him before our recent trip to Central Island and was planning our next trip to Wet and Wild.”

Subhan, a student at Jack Miner Public School in Whitby, was supposed to begin high school at Donald Wilson next month, a transition his mother said he was “very excited about.”

“He talked about it often.”

Roy offered her condolences and confirmed that police attended the scene and that no criminal investigation would take place.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Subhan Mareer,” she said. “My thoughts are everyone who knew Subhan, the Jack Miner PS community and to the first responders who were at the scene.”

Durham Police issued a statement on the incident Wednesday afternoon.

We are aware of the social media posts circulating about the tragic death of a 13-year-old boy at the Oshawa Centre. Our thoughts remain with his family, who we will continue to stay in contact with, offering them support during this difficult time.

The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the youth’s death. Investigators have reviewed, and continue to review, surveillance footage from vehicles in the area as well as the mall.

An autopsy is pending.

At this time in the investigation, there is no evidence to suggest criminality. However, investigators are seeking assistance from anyone who was at the Oshawa Centre on Friday, August 16th, between 3:45 and 5:45 p.m. If you have video footage or any information, please contact investigators at Central East Division at (905) 579-1520, x 2739.