Police seek witnesses to two shootings at Etobicoke highrise

WATCH ABOVE: Catherine McDonald explains why police are having trouble finding witnesses to talk to after Tuesday’s shootings. 

TORONTO – Toronto police are investigating after a pair of shootings at an Etobicoke apartment building left two people injured on Tuesday.

The shootings happening within hours of each other. First, a man in his 20s was shot in his leg, elbow and chest Tuesday afternoon at 2063 Islington Ave. Police canvassed the area, spoke with Toronto Community Housing security and reviewed what video they could get.

Officers were still near the building when the second shooting happened. A man was shot multiple times, including once in the head. Several people ran from the scene.

No witnesses have come forward, police said.

“We have no one that’s come forward and given us an eyewitness account of what happened yesterday,” Superintendent Ron Taverner said in an interview with Global News’ reporter Catherine McDonald on Wednesday.

Taverner said he knows there are eyewitnesses, but fear of the gangs, which seemingly control the building, keeps bystanders from talking.

“We don’t have any hard evidence to suggest that they are connected, but certainly from other information we have, there is a connection between the two victims,” Taverner said.

“We believe there is a gang connection.”

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WATCH: Catherine McDonald sits down with Supt. Ron Taverner to talk about the gang violence at 2063 Islington Avenue. 

The building is located across the street from Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, where Rob Ford coached football. Two people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed outside of Don Bosco in October, and a person was shot in January at the bus stop outside the building.

Toronto police have inserted semi-permanent teams into the neighbourhood, similar to the community engagement teams that police claim helped turn around apartment buildings near 320-340 Dixon Rd. the centre of the Project Traveller raids.  The teams talk with people and will frequently walk through stairwells where gang members are known to hang out.

“We’re very concerned. We have neighbourhood officers in the building, and they’re dealing with the issues as they can, trying to outreach to people and get them to help us in these investigations,” Taverner said.

“But people are fearful and the reality is, we understand why they’re fearful when gangs, young gangs are in there and controlling the stairwells in some cases.”

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Pastor Keaton Austin was at the building on Wednesday handing out food to residents.  He said he frequently talks with people concerned about the level of gun violence in the area.

Austin said there aren’t enough resources and programs available to keep kids away from violent lifestyles.

“The violence is occurring because we have to have a lot more programs. I’m stressing for more programs, community programs, for the kids in the community,” Austin said.

“Residents who live in these two buildings are fed up. They’re fed up.”

– With files from Catherine McDonald