'Terrible tragedy': Politicians speak out following fatal stabbing of teen at Toronto subway station
Politicians and advocacy groups are speaking out following the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy at Keele Station on Saturday.
The teenager, identified as Gabriel Magalhaes, was sitting on a bench in the lower level of the subway station when he was allegedly approached and stabbed multiple times in what police have described as an “unprovoked” attack.
Magalhaes suffered life-threatening injuries and later died in hospital. A suspect, identified as 22-year-old Jordan O’Brien-Tobin, was arrested that night and charged with first-degree murder.
In a letter to students and parents on Monday, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute principal Jennifer Kurtz said Gabriel was a kind student who enjoyed school and his death is a "tragic loss."
Violent incidents on the TTC have increased by over 60 per cent since 2019, according to data released by the transit commission in February. Saturday’s stabbing is the latest in a string of high-profile incidents on Toronto’s public transit system, which in January prompted the addition of 80 Toronto police officers to various TTC locations.
In a Monday morning tweet, Premier Doug Ford shared condolences for the Magalhaes family, calling the incident a “senseless and unprovoked murder that cannot be tolerated.”
Toronto deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie told CP24 she is "committed to supporting the work" of the TTC and Toronto police as safety initiatives, including more special constables, continue to roll out.
"I have two young children," she continued. "My heart absolutely breaks for this mother...we know we can do better."
"The randomness is really what scares people; it scares me," said city councillor Jon Burnside. He later called on the federal government for support, pointing out that the increased violence on the TTC is an issue that spans across municipal, provincial and federal purview.
“It’s just a terrible, terrible tragedy,” city councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) told CP24.
“There’s been a number of wake-up calls for the TTC, and I don’t think they’ve had a wake-up yet,” she continued. “[People] should feel unnerved riding the TTC….people are afraid.”
Fletcher noted that one of the TTC’s most concerning deficiencies is in preventative operations, or staffing and maintenance practices which can deter crime before it happens, rather than punishing it after the fact.
“This is a tragedy by any definition,” Stuart Green, senior communications specialist for the TTC, told CP24 on Monday morning.
“We’ve seen a general downward trend in the number of serious incidents, and we move hundreds of millions of people a year without incident, but we absolutely understand that on days like today, people are feeling a little nervous, a little on-edge. We get that.”
Green reiterated the transit agency’s commitment to lessening violence through measures like increased policing.
“We’re making our best effort, and we take this extremely seriously,” he said.
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113, which represents TTC operators and maintenance workers, shared a press release Monday morning, expressing dismay at the increased violence on Toronto’s transit system.
“Any loss of life on public transit has a lasting impact on families and communities of those directly involved, as well as on transit riders and transit workers,” said the statement.
“With the upcoming election, Toronto needs a mayor who understands allocating funds to public transit is not a cost, it is an investment – an investment in transit safety, maintaining dependable service, and state of good repair.”
There have been at least four homicides on or directly outside TTC property over the last year.
In December two women were stabbed by a stranger at High Park Station, one of whom later died of her injuries.
Another woman was set on fire on a TTC bus outside Kipling Station in June, later dying of her injuries. Police said at the time that there was no known relationship between the woman and her attacker.
In a message posted to Twitter on Monday, former police chief and current mayoral candidate Mark Saunders said that he is concerned thatToronto “is starting to normalize crime and disorder.”
“This isn’t about just adding more police,” said Saunders’ statement. “Yes, police absolutely play a critical role; but if we don’t start to really get at the root of the crime; it’s going to continue to be Band-Aid solutions.”
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.