Toronto police say a 12-year-old boy is in critical condition and three others are injured after a “brazen” daylight shooting in North York on Saturday.
Officers were called to Stong Court, north of Jane Street and Finch Avenue, at 2:22 p.m. for multiple reports of the sound of gunshots.
“There were two vehicles that attended into this parking lot here. Two of the occupants of one of the vehicles got out and ran towards the second vehicle and started firing,” interim police Chief James Ramer told reporters at the scene.
Ramer said the vehicle that was shot at had five people inside, three of whom were hit.
Ramer said numerous rounds were fired by two suspects and a 12-year-old boy walking with his mother in the area was struck by a stray bullet.
“It’s just a brazen shooting. It’s just a callous disregard,” Ramer said, adding that around 30 shell casings were located.
“The boy was with his mother. They had just been shopping in the area. It’s just disgraceful.”
Officers arrived at the scene and found the 12-year-old boy who had been shot. His mother wasn’t injured.
The three other victims were in the vehicle which fled to nearby Driftwood Avenue.
“Three of the victims got out of the vehicle and collapsed there,” Ramer said, adding that one of them was a 17-year-old boy.
Two of them were men who were in stable condition, Ramer said.
After the shooting, the two male suspects reportedly got back into their vehicle and fled northbound on Jane Street.
A suspect description wasn’t immediately available.
“It’s not definitive yet that it’s gang-related, but it certainly has all the hallmarks and that’s what we’re prepared to address,” Ramer said.
He said there would be more police resources deployed Saturday evening to the neighbourhood where the shooting occurred to address a possible “conflict.”
Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to contact investigators.