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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.