Toronto police say one of the victims of a fatal double shooting outside a North York bowling alley was targeted, while the other was a bystander.

Gunfire erupted outside the entrance of Playtime Bowl on Samor Road, in the Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue West area, shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday.

When police arrived, they found a man and a woman both suffering from gunshot wounds.

The man – identified by police Sunday as 32-year-old Thanh Tien Ngo – was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman, identified by police as 29-year-old Ruma Amar, was rushed to hospital, where she died of her injuries.

Speaking with reporters Sunday, police said the two did not know each other.

“With what we have learned thus far we have every reason to believe that Mr. Ngo was targeted,” Detective Rob Choe said. “We are also confident in saying there is no relationship between Mr. Ngo and Mrs. Amar and that Mr. Ngo was the intended target when Mrs. Amar was shot.”

Choe said it appears that Ngo was socializing inside the bowling alley, but left at some point and went outside, where he was confronted by the assailants. Choe said it appears two male suspects chased Ngo and shot him as he reached the entrance to the bowling alley.

Witnesses reported hearing between 5 and 10 shots fired.

Ngo managed to get inside the bowling alley after he was struck and he collapsed there.

Amar, who was out with her husband and younger sister, was leaving the bowling alley just as Ngo was trying to run back inside and was in close proximity to him when the suspects opened fire, Choe said.

Choe said it appears the two suspects then got into a dark coloured vehicle driven by a third person and fled the area in a westbound direction.

Police are now looking for three suspects. Two of them are believed to be males who are armed with handguns.  One of them was wearing a blue, hooded shirt and black shoes. The other was wearing a black, hooded shirt and black shoes with white soles.

Choe said police are also looking to speaking with any witnesses they haven’t yet interviewed.

“We know there were many people at the bowling alley when this occurred and we are appealing for any witnesses that may have seen or heard anything that have yet to speak with police,” Choe said.

He added that police do not yet know what motivated the shooting.

 

“We would also be interested in speaking to anybody that would know why Mr. Ngo was targeted.”

Choe would not say whether Ngo was known to police.

Witnesses describe screaming, ‘mass exit’

The gunfire left frightened patrons still their bowling shoes scrambling for safety.

“I saw a lady at the front door screaming and then I heard ‘gun, gun’ and everybody was looking around to see where all the commotion was coming from,” Witness Mike Noel told CP24. “There was a bit of hesitation because there was just so much going on. I just saw people to my left started hitting the floor and maybe somebody from management was screaming ‘everybody to the back,’ looking for an exit.

“When people realized that something serious was going on at the front, that’s when we made the mass exit out the back door.   

Police said the suspects never actually entered the bowling alley. Still, Choe said the number of casualties could easily have been higher.

“Given the nature of how the shooting occurred, it certainly could have taken on a more tragic complexion,” he said.

Police continued to hold the scene Sunday afternoon, with evidence markers still visible on the ground and yellow police tape cordoning off the parking lot and other areas surrounding the property.

Anyone with information is being asked to call Toronto police.