There aren’t many things that can leave Leaf tough guy Tie Domi near tears - not even losing a chance at the Stanley Cup.

But on Wednesday, the man without fear was emotionally moved by meeting someone who has everything to fear – and refuses to give up.

The Leaf winger’s sensitive response came after he visited drive-by shooting victim Louise Russo in her hospital bed. The 39-year-old Toronto mother was gunned down while in a Sheppard and Keele sandwich shop last April.

The bullet came within inches of leaving her a paraplegic, but the damage was bad enough. Doctors say she’ll never walk again.

“It didn't have to happen to ... to this family,” Domi hesitates, holding back tears. “And, uh, they're sitting there and I was in the room with Louise Russo, and, uh, it's a cowardly act. It's a bunch of punks who are gutless, and these type of things don't have to happen.”

“It's such a sad situation and so unfortunate and just an innocent person who's done so much for her disabled daughter for the last 16 years and this has to happen to her now,” he adds.

Domi was helping to launch Sunnybrook’s Keep Kids Safe campaign for the summer. But the meeting clearly affected him.

Russo's family is still struggling to cope with the unthinkable tragedy.

“Words can not describe the hell, the hell that we're going through right now,” laments Louise's sister, Rose Caliendo. “It's absolutely devastating.”

“This was a senseless, selfish, cowardly act.”

In the meantime police continue to try to track the shooters. So far, there have been no arrests and they have no suspects.

Louise Russo Contact Information

To send her a message care of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, email louise.russo@tcdsb.org.

If you'd like to help with a trust fund, it's been set up at the Keele and Wilson C.I.B.C., account number 1-4-2-1-6-3-8, transit number 0-6-6-2-2.