Shooting in downtown Toronto leaves 1 dead, 2 others injured
Toronto police are searching for four suspects who they said opened fire on three men in Regent Park Saturday evening, leaving one of them dead and the other two injured.
Officers were called to the area of Oak and Sumach streets, south of Gerrard Street East, just before 9 p.m. for a shooting.
When they arrived, they located three men, all in their 20s, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Insp. Michael Williams said one victim was pronounced at the scene while another victim who was shot in the torso was rushed to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition.
He said a third victim suffered gunshot wounds to his lower body and was also transported to a local hospital in non-life-threatening condition.
The homicide unit has been called and will take over the investigation.
"What I can tell you so far is it appears that four people dressed in dark clothing approached on foot, and all four of them apparently opened fire on these three men," Williams said.
He noted that approximately 50 shell casings were found at the scene.
When asked if the victims returned fire, Williams said it's still early in the investigation to determine that.
"I can't speculate at this point if there was an exchange of gunfire," he said.
Williams advised residents to expect heavy police presence in the area as officers talk to witnesses and canvass for videos.
"It's a highly-populated area. There's a playground just to the south of us. It was still 8:50 when this took place, so probably lots of people around -- very, very dangerous," he said.
"There are apartment buildings. There are low-rise townhouses all over the place, likely people on foot. We're hoping that someone captured something on video or maybe saw something from a balcony or maybe walking by and if they could come forward and contact our investigators from the homicide squad and 51 Division."
Police have not released any suspect information.
Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents the area, said the shooting is gut-wrenching and urged anyone with information to contact police.
"I'm speaking to Toronto Police to better understanding what happened. City's Community Crisis Response Program will be in the community to support local residents affected," Wong-Tam tweeted after the incident.
"For the sake of all our children, we must put an end to gun violence in this city and country. Please hold Regent Park in your hearts tight tonight."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.