Man killed in Scarborough shooting identified by family
A man shot and killed in an underground parking garage in Scarborough has been identified by his family.
Police were called to the area of Sheppard Avenue East and Birchmount Road just before 5:30 p.m. Friday for reports of a shooting.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
When officers arrived, they located a man suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. Despite life-saving efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Saturday, the victim was identified as Gars-Ara Kourjakian by his friends and family to CTV News Toronto.
Rahim Ladhajuma, a friend of the family, said Kourjakian’s daughter -- who turned five years old on Saturday -- was with her father at the time of the shooting and that he was taking off her winter boots before he was shot.
"That guy loved his family and daughter and he was one of the greatest neighbours you can have," Ladhajuma told CTV News Toronto.
Gars-Ara Kourjakian is seen in this undated image. (Supplied)
Kourjakian was an interior designer and had been saving to buy his family a house, Ladhajuma explained.
Ladhajuma said that in the last two weeks, a number of cars have been broken into inside the underground parkade below their apartment building.
Police confirmed to CTV News Toronto that they are investigating a handful of incidents of mischief reported in the garage over the last month.
“This garage stays open sometimes far too long. And, you know, people may blame the management, the building, you can't point too many fingers but there are little steps to be done," Ladhajuma said.
CTV News Toronto reached out to the building management company for comment but has not yet heard back.
Kourjakian is the city’s 70th homicide victim of the year. He was 34.
Police said Friday that they do not have suspect information at this time.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Allison Hurst
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau's 2024: Did the PM become less popular this year?
Justin Trudeau’s numbers have been relatively steady this calendar year, but they've also been at their worst, according to tracking data from CTV News pollster Nik Nanos.
Back on air: John Vennavally-Rao on reclaiming his career while living with cancer
'In February, there was a time when I thought my career as a TV reporter was over,' CTV News reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao writes.
Death toll in attack on Christmas market in Germany rises to 5 and more than 200 injured
Germans on Saturday mourned both the victims and their shaken sense of security after a Saudi doctor intentionally drove into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people, including a small child, and wounding at least 200 others.
Overheated immigration system needed 'discipline' infusion: minister
An 'overheated' immigration system that admitted record numbers of newcomers to the country has harmed Canada's decades-old consensus on the benefits of immigration, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said, as he reflected on the changes in his department in a year-end interview.
Summer McIntosh makes guest appearance in 'The Nutcracker'
Summer McIntosh made a splash during her guest appearance in The National Ballet of Canada’s production of 'The Nutcracker.'
The winter solstice is here, the Northern Hemisphere's darkest day
The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets.
It's eggnog season. The boozy beverage dates back to medieval England but remains a holiday hit
At Scoma's Restaurant in San Francisco, this holiday season 's batch of eggnog began 11 months ago.
Warrants issued for 'violent offenders' after Nanaimo jewelry store robbery
Authorities are asking for the public 's help finding two suspects wanted in connection with a Nanaimo, B.C., jewelry store robbery earlier this year.
Wild boar hybrid identified near Fort Macleod, Alta.
Acting on information, an investigation by the Municipal District of Willow Creek's Agricultural Services Board (ASB) found a small population of wild boar hybrids being farmed near Fort Macleod.