Boy, 14, charged with carjacking, shooting ride-share driver in head with pellet gun in Toronto

A 14-year-old boy who allegedly shot a ride-share driver multiple times with a pellet gun in north Etobicoke during an attempted carjacking has been arrested, police say.

In a news release issued on Monday, police said officers were called to the area of Kipling Avenue and Rowntree Road in the city’s Rexdale neighbourhood on June 11.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

A ride-share driver was dropping off a customer in the area at the time and, as they exited the vehicle, a boy entered, according to police.

The boy pointed a gun at the driver, which police said was later determined to be a pellet gun, and demanded the car keys before allegedly shooting him in the head.

Police said the driver fled the scene and the boy chased him. When the driver fell to the ground, police said, the boy “stood over the driver shooting him several times before fleeing empty-handed.”

The driver was taken to hospital, although the extent of his injuries were not disclosed.

• Toronto carjackings: How to protect yourself

Police said the suspect was located later that day and taken into custody. At the time of his arrest, police said, the pellet gun was recovered as well as “other items of evidentiary value.”

The 14-year-old boy from Brampton is facing a number of charges, including aggravated assault, robbery with offensive weapon, and fail to comply with release order.

He cannot be named under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The boy was scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Monday.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the alleged incident to contact them at 416-808-7350 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.