A man has died after a shooting in the heart of downtown Toronto.
The man was gunned down on Yonge Street, just north of Bloor Street, at about 8 p.m. Wednesday. He was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Witnesses said they heard five gunshots although they were uncertain as to how many times the victim was hit.
READ MORE: Rash of shootings, stabbings ‘a blip’ says Toronto police chief
A woman who said she was a friend of the victim and asked not to be identified, said the incident began as an argument over money. She also said tried to give her friend CPR before emergency personnel reached the scene.
Police say they are searching for three suspects: a man described as wearing a white jacket, another man wearing a baby blue jacket and a third man wearing a black jacket.
Yonge and Bloor is a bustling intersection, just steps from designer shops on Bloor and close to the high-end area Yorkville.
Restaurants, businesses and a TTC entrance line the street where the shooting happened. Witness photos show the victim’s body on the ground in front of a Starbucks.
Immediately after the shooting, police appeared to be using Tim Hortons cups as evidence markers.
READ MORE: Concerns over gun violence in Toronto after deadly January
There has been a recent spike in gun violence in Canada’s largest city. Police reported 94 shootings in Toronto as of April 11, and 13 deaths from gun crime.
This is the city’s 14th shooting death and 23rd homicide of the year. There were 56 homicides in all of 2015.
Witnesses to Wednesday’s incident are asked to call police at 416-808-2222.