Toronto police have released a video that clearly shows a shooting in Jamestown Wednesday morning that seriously injured a 20-year-old man.
The video shows a male approach the victim who was on a bike on Pittsboro Drive, near Finch Avenue and Martin Grove Road. At close range, he fired his gun. The shooter, wearing a blue shirt, promptly runs from the scene.
The victim is currently in hospital in critical but stable condition.
Though it’s not visible on the surveillance video camera footage released to the public Thursday, police said they have a second video which shows the victim was alsoshot at by a second suspect.
A second man is seen with the shooter at a different point on the tape.
The shooting was almost certainly targeted, said Police Chief Mark Saunders at a news conference Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, he called the video “disturbing.”
“You can see the intention,” he said. “This was not accidental in any way, shape, or form.”
Saunders said he doesn’t know what led to the shooting but suggested it may have been a result of gang-related street violence.
Investigators are aggressively looking for a motive,” he said.
Saunders said police need help from the community to make strides in their investigation.
“The prevalence of firearms is an issue that we have right now which is part of the reason why we conducted raids today to help once again to suppress the street gang type of violence going on in the city,” he said.
Saunders said while the neighbourhood has seen some devastating violence in recent weeks – most notably the shooting death of pregnant woman Candice Rochelle Bobb – the community remains tight knit.
“This is not the vast majority of the community. Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of this community are law abiding, (and) are very cooperative members of the community,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that the community has been shaken by the events.
“They have genuine fears but that type of criminal behaviour is a very, very small segment,” Saunders said. “Are they scared? Yes they are. Are we working with them in partnership to see what we can do to help solve and make that community safer? Absolutely.”
Supt. Ron Taverner, head of local 23 Division, said the issues reach further than Jamestown.
“I don’t think we’re losing control but certainly there are issues we’re trying to deal with,” he told reporters. “There’s been a large number of redeployment and personnel to try and address the issues we currently have in the northwest area of the city – but it’s not just 23 Division – it’s surrounding divisions as well.”
Taverner said he is disgusted by the turn of events.
“It’s totally disgusting. It’s bizarre and outrageous. For anyone to perpetrate an act like this it’s so inhumane,” he said.
Police released the name of a suspect wanted in connection with the crime – a man who Saunders said is known to authorities.
Shamaury White, a 21-year-old Toronto resident, is being urged to contact authorities.
He is facing six charges, including attempted murder and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
Heis described as being five-foot-teenwith braided black hair, brown eyes and a thin build. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with a collar along with black jeans and black and white running shoes. He was also wearing a baseball cap.
The second suspect has not been identified by police. He is believed to between the ages of 20 and 30 years old with a large black afro. He is between five-foot-ten and six-foot-one with a thin build.
He was wearing a white T-shirt with black,thin-fitting, knee-length shorts that have horizontal stripes along the sides. He was also wearing dark running shoes and a black Raptors ball cap with a white logo in the front.
The two men are considered armed and dangerous. Police ask that anyone who spots them call 911 immediately.
