TORONTO -- Police announced two arrests in a “mindless and horrifying” mass shooting in Mississauga, Ont. that left a 17-year-old boy dead last fall, while linking the case to the murder of a 28-year-old man that took place in the city a month later.
Officers with Peel Regional Police announced the break in the two homicide investigations during a news conference held on Tuesday morning, while releasing three videos of the first shooting, described by investigators as one of the most severe incidents in the service’s history.
But, despite the new information being discovered, officers said the investigations are far from over.
“We will continue to work hard to bring justice to all of the victims, their families and the communities that have been deeply affected by these two senseless acts of violence,” Supt. Martin Ottaway told reporters on Tuesday.
The first of the two shootings took place on Sept. 14, 2019 in Mississauga, Ont.
It was just before 6:30 p.m. when two suspect vehicles, a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Nissan Sentra, drove to the rear of an apartment complex located on Darcel Avenue, near Morning Star and Goreway drives. Police said the vehicles stopped and seven armed suspects exited, spreading themselves out throughout the parking lot. The two suspect vehicles then turned around, ready to flee the scene.
The suspects allegedly opened fire on a large group of males congregated at the back of the complex.
According to police, 141 shell casings were located at the scene and six people were struck by gunfire.
The victims included three innocent bystanders, one of whom died at the scene.
“Jonathan Davis was not with the group that was congregating at the rear of the building and was an innocent victim who found himself caught in the middle of gunfire while being picked up by family members in the area,” Ottaway said.
Davis was a Grade 12 student from Mississauga, Ont. His family has described him as a mild-mannered, polite boy, who was always kind to his siblings.
The other two innocent bystanders injured in the shooting were a 50-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl, who were inside separate apartments when gunfire erupted outside.
A 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys were also injured in the incident.
One of the two suspect vehicles, the Hyundai Santa Fe, which was reported stolen in Peel Region back in April 2019, was recovered by Ontario Provincial Police in Caledon, Ont later that day. It was lit on fire, but was not completely burned out, police said.
Investigators had previously said the armed suspects were believed to be targeting a group of individuals shooting a rap video at the complex at the time.
Cops detail videos showing Darcel Avenue shooting
On Tuesday, police released three videos captured from surveillance cameras that show the shooting on Darcel Avenue, as well as the suspect vehicles approaching the area.
The first video shows the two suspect vehicles approaching the scene. The vehicles are seen driving alongside one another northbound on Rexwood Road, towards Derry Road.
The second video captures the rear of the apartment complex on Darcel Avenue. The two vehicles are seen entering the parking lot before the armed suspects exit the vehicle and begin to spread out. The suspects then allegedly open fire on the group of males congregated in the lot before returning to the vehicles and fleeing the scene.
The third video, which police warned to be disturbing, captures the actual shooting. The sound of dozens of gunshots being fired off is heard as people are seen running through the parking lot in different directions. This video does not capture the moment Davis was shot.
Ottaway said the scene took days for forensic investigators to process, adding that 15 apartments were struck by gunfire, as well as nine vehicles.
Speaking alongside Ottaway at Tuesday’s news conference, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duaiappah called the incident “absolutely horrifying.”
“To give you an idea of how violent and dangerous this shooting was, at the time there was an ice cream truck present in the housing complex during the shooting and many children were outside playing,” he said. “It was daytime and there were hundreds of families living in the multi-storey apartment, which was the backdrop to the shooting.”
Darcel Avenue shooting linked to another fatality
On Tuesday, investigators announced that they have recently learned that the deadly mass shooting on Darcel Avenue is forensically linked to another fatality that took place in Mississauga, Ont. one month later.
Just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 22, 2019, four people inside a vehicle were shot at as another vehicle pulled alongside them on Derry Road near Highway 410.
Giovanni Delahaye, of Brampton, was killed in the shooting and the three others were seriously injured.
Police said Delahaye was the intended target of this shooting, but would not say if the other people inside the vehicle were targeted as well.
“(There were) many innocent people driving in the area,” Duaiappah said on Tuesday. “As you can imagine, the impact on the people that were driving in that area, the victims, the residents, and the entire Malton community.”
The suspect vehicle in this incident was identified as a Nissan Sentra. It was later found fully engulfed in flames by the Ontario Provincial Police in Caledon, Ont.
The Sentra was later forensically determined to be the same one involved in the Darcel Avenue shooting, police said.
Two male suspects charged in Darcel Avenue shooting
Since these two incidents took place, police said they have been working tirelessly to find those responsible.
On July 16, search warrants were executed by homicide detectives in connection with the Darcel Avenue shooting. A suspect, identified by police as 19-year-old Safeer Ahmad, of Mississauga, Ont. was arrested. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the September 2019 shooting and the death of Davis.
On July 19, a second male suspect turned himself in to officials. Brampton, Ont. resident Jahvon Valdez, 21, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and unauthorized possession of a firearm in relation to the Darcel Avenue shooting and the death of Davis.
The person who actually pulled the triggered on Davis has not yet been arrested and no arrests have been made in connection with the death of Delahaye thus far.
A statement from Davis’ parents was read by police on their behalf at Tuesday’s news conference.
“We are grateful for the arrests and hard work of all the investigators,” the statement said. “No justice will ease the pain of losing our son. No justice will ease that pain, but we want those responsible for this horrible crime to be arrested and face justice so no other family will have to experience the pain we have been experiencing. We need to get these guns off our streets.”
Investigations linked to gang violence
While linking the cases to ongoing gang violence, police said there are more people responsible for these incidents out in the public right now.
“I can say we have confirmed this is a gun and gang motivated incident, it is a dispute between two different groups,” Ottaway said. “I can say that they are gangs within the Greater Toronto Area.”
This is an ongoing investigation, investigators said, adding that they believe there are people out there with vital information in these cases.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact police at 905-453-2121, ext. 3205 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
