WATCH: Police release further details about murder at Garden Restaurant
TORONTO – The man who was killed at the Garden Restaurant earlier in November was shot during a fight with a group of men who had minutes before robbed his friend of expensive jewellery.
Toronto police Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux said at a press conference Monday Tariq Mohammed, 31, was sitting near the front of the Garden Restaurant at approximately 4 a.m. on November 16.
He was sitting with another man who was wearing a “tremendous amount of expensive gold jewellery,” Giroux said, estimating the jewellery was worth more than $2,000.
Giroux said the three to five suspects in the shooting came into the restaurant and hung out near the bathroom. Giroux said it’s possible the suspects saw Mohammed and his friend through the window and entered the restaurant with the sole purpose of robbing the man.
When Mohammed and his friend went to the bathroom, Giroux said “the victim who was wearing these very prominent gold chains was immediately attacked by the three suspects in an attempt to remove the chains.”
After the robbery, Giroux said Mohammed and robbed man went back to their table and were followed by the suspects.
They got into another fight despite knowing the suspects were armed, Giroux said.
“Numerous shots were fired at the front of the restaurant which resulted in the death of the deceased. He was killed instantly at that point in time,” Giroux said. “Two female patrons who were seated at the north side of the restaurant received their injuries from stray bullets.”
The two women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The restaurant was full at the time, Giroux said and a number of people fled the restaurant when the shooting started. Despite that, over a dozen witnesses have come forward to give statements to the police.
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