A 26-year-old man suspected in a fatal downtown Toronto shooting is also being investigated by Vancouver police in relation to targeted hits in the B.C. city, sources told CTV News.

Dean Wiwchar has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of John Raposo, who was gunned down on a patio in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood earlier this week.

His arrest has prompted police officers from Vancouver to head to Ontario, CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington reported on Friday.

The accused grew up in Stouffville, Ont. but has ties to the West Coast.

Wiwchar has served time for robbery in Matsqui Institution, a medium-security prison in Abbotsford, B.C. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to attacking and threatening to kill prison guards.

As well, Wiwchar's lawyer Christopher Avery has said his client has a girlfriend in B.C.

Vancouver police haven't specified which unsolved crimes might involve the accused.

Back in Toronto, Wiwchar's lawyer says his client is shocked by the current charges.

"He's very upset, he's shocked and he looks forward to his opportunity to plead not guilty and see what the evidence is against him. He has no idea why he's been charged," Avery told reporters outside a Toronto court on Friday.

Avery said there were discrepancies between his client and the suspect description released by police, claiming that his client is taller than the described suspect and has dark, not blond, hair.

Seven years ago, Wiwchar was convicted of robbery in York Region. He served part of his sentence in British Columbia, a development Avery was unable to explain.

CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry reported Friday that between 2004 and 2005, Wiwchar faced more than 60 charges related to weapon possession and armed robberies and has been convicted of disobeying court orders, among other charges.

He has never before faced a charge as serious as murder. His current charges have not been proven in a court of law.

Wiwchar's Friday court appearance came at the same time as Raposo's funeral, which took place at St. Mary's Church, near Bathurst and Adelaide Streets.

Raposo, 35, was shot in the head last Monday afternoon on the patio of the Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe while he and others gathered to watch a Euro Cup soccer match between Italy and Ireland.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington