A man gunned down outside Toronto's Don Jail minutes after leaving the facility on Sunday was one of two dozen suspects rounded up in the Jane Creba murder investigation last year.

Eric Boateng, 21, was arrested in the June 2006 sweep and charged with trafficking firearms, conspiracy to traffic in firearms, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.

He pleaded guilty to the drug charge on Aug. 7 and was sentenced to the equivalent of 28 months in jail, the Toronto Star reports. Boateng was released from custody at that time for time served, and put on probation for one year.

Police arrested and charged 25 people in the murder investigation of Creba, the popular 15-year-old high school student who was fatally shot while shopping on Yonge Street on Boxing Day 2005.

Boateng was shot dead while walking in the area of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street after visiting an inmate at about 4 p.m. on Sunday. He was walking towards his parked car when he was approached by a male suspect, police said.

"A foot chase ensued and several shots were fired," Toronto Police Duty Insp. Bernadette Button told reporters on Sunday night.

Boating was found crumpled on the ground on a driveway between two homes on Simpson Avenue. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to revive him.

There were reports several men were involved in the altercation, but Det. Dan Nielsen told CTV.ca on Monday that for now, there is evidence pointing to just one person.

"It's possible other people are involved but from what we have right now we can say for sure there's one," he said. "There may be others involved but right now, it can't be confirmed."

The suspect is being described as a black male in his 20s, between 5'8 to 6'0, with a medium build. The man was reportedly wearing a black bomber jacket, dark baggy pants and dark hat. He was last seen running south on Hamilton Street from Gerard.

Several witnesses reported seeing a smaller-sized, dark-coloured SUV leave the area around the time of the shooting. Nielsen said are looking into it.

"It's not clear whether it was directly involved," he said. "I don't know whether it was driven by people who were involved or scared. We can't say for sure, but we can say for sure the shooter left on foot."

Dozens of people were in the area at the time, enjoying the warm weather. Many were attending services at St. John's Presbyterian Church located nearby.

Nielsen said it's a miracle no one else was hurt.

"One bullet hit a railing of a front porch of a home," he said. "It's a residential area, with a lot of pedestrian and vehicle traffic around. The potential for other people to get hurt...It's extremely fortunate no one else was struck."

Investigators are reviewing security video tapes in the area as well as in the Don Jail. Right now, police are not sure the shooting has anything to do with the victim's visit to the jail.

"It's something we're looking into," Nielsen said. "Anything is possible."

Boateng is the city's 70th homicide victim of 2007.