WATCH ABOVE: Friends of Ariela Navarro-Fenoy can’t believe she was killed by gun violence. Catherine McDonald has the story.
TORONTO – Police are appealing for the public’s help in locating and identifying two persons of interest in connection to the deadly Muzik nightclub shooting that killed two and injured three others.
A man and a woman were killed early Tuesday morning around 3:15 a.m. after gunfire erupted at the OVO Fest after-party hosted by Toronto rapper Drake.
A male victim was pronounced dead inside the nightclub’s outdoor patio area while a female victim was shot north of the Dufferin Gates. She later died in hospital from her injuries.
Police say there were two separate shootings scenes and it is not yet known if both incidents are connected.
Three other people were injured during the gunfire, one from inside the nightclub, a second individual found just outside a fenced area near the venue, and a third victim located near Dufferin and College streets.
Police say two of them suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
WATCH: Toronto Police are seeking ‘persons of interest’ in the Muzik Nightclub shooting
The victims were identified by police on Wednesday as Duvel Hibbert, 23, of Brampton, and Ariela Navarro-Fenoy, 26, of Toronto.
An online fundraising campaign set up for Navarro-Fenoy to raise money for her funeral and burial costs had raised more than $15,000 as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Another campaign had been set up for Hibbert and had raised $250 of the $15,000 sought.
“Ariela was a beautiful person in and out. I had the pleasure of meeting her and every time she was always smiling with that beautiful smile she had,” a friend who had set up the GoFundMe page wrote.
“I know she’s smiling right now with that same beautiful smile.”
In March 2013, OPP issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man named Duvel Hibbert on a breach of parole. He had served a three-year sentence for various firearm-related offences.
Toronto police confirmed to Global News that Hibbert was “known to police” and Peel Regional Police said that they had arrested a suspect with that name after the warrant was issued.
There have been no arrests in the case and police are appealing for the public to come forward with any pictures or video of the shooting scene.
Meanwhile, the persons of interest sought are described as:
- Male, black, 6’0″ to 6’1″, 25 to 26 years old with a fresh buzz cut, light purple crew neck sweater with a colourful design on the front and dark blue jeans.
- Male, brown, 5’10” to 5’11”, skinny build, 24 to 28 years old, wearing a yellow, burgundy plaid button-up shirt.
In a statement released hours after the shooting, Muzik nightclub owner Zlatko Starkovski said 73 professionally trained security guards were on duty during the event.
Although it is unclear how weapons entered the venue, Starkovski said trained guards were responsible for conducting body searches and using metal-detecting wands on all guests.
While the police investigation is underway, Toronto Mayor John Tory said Tuesday he is calling for a city review of the incident to figure out what went wrong and how further shootings like this can be prevented.
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