‘Wrong place, wrong time’: Police say Toronto man shot and killed was waiting for ride to work

Toronto police say a 45-year-old man who was shot and killed while waiting for a ride to work early Wednesday in Scarborough was in the “wrong place” at the “wrong time.”

Officers were called to Danforth Road and Eglinton Avenue East at around 3:40 a.m. for reports of a shooting.

Police said the victim, later identified as John Wheeler, was shot in his torso in front of an apartment building as he was waiting for a ride for work. He was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition, but later died.

“This was a horrific, cowardly and uncalled for act against Mr. Wheeler. He did not deserve this. Nobody deserves to get shot and die in our city,” said Det. Staff Sgt. Ted Lioumanis.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This was a horrific, cowardly and uncalled for act against Mr. Wheeler. He did not deserve this. Nobody deserves to get shot and die in our city," said Det. Staff Sgt. Ted Lioumanis.

“He’s outside at 3:30 in the morning waiting for a ride and for some unknown reason at this point, he is shot from behind,” he continued, adding Wheeler had no interaction with the shooter.

He said Wheeler was “simply” waiting for his ride with his lunch pail and coffee in-hand.

Lioumanif said he does not believe that Wheeler was targeted and that it appears to be a “wrong place, wrong time” situation.

“There’s nothing to show any type of criminality on Mr. Wheeler’s part,” Lioumanis said, adding there was “total cowardice on the part of the suspect with the firearm.”

Investigators said two suspects ran into a waiting vehicle described as a small black SUV that fled the scene. The driver in the getaway vehicle was a woman, police said.

Earlier on Friday, police released multiple surveillance videos of the suspects in the moments leading up to the fatal shooting.

The first of the four videos appears to show the vehicle the suspects were in, the second video appears to show the two suspects in what seems to be the front of an apartment building. The third video appears to show the victim walking out of his building prior to the incident. The final video appears to show one of the suspects walking up to Wheeler while holding a gun.

“Our family is completely saddened and devastated by this senseless loss of life,” said Arlene Stuckless, Wheeler’s niece at a press conference on Friday.

“My uncle John was a hard-working man who would give you the shirt off his back. He would go out of his way to help anyone, for any reason.”

“We’re appealing for anyone to come forward with information that can bring these people to justice, no matter how insignificant you think it is — call,” said Stuckless.

—With files from Gabby Rodrigues