Toronto police say they charged a 13-year-old boy with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in East York.
Det. Sgt. Rob Choe, with the homicide unit, told reporters at a news conference on Friday it was around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when officers responded to a shooting in the underground parking garage of an apartment building on Gamble Avenue, near Pape and Cosburn avenues.
When officers arrived, Choe said a teenage boy was suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police had previously identified the victim, but have since said his family withdrew their consent for him being identified in line with a provision under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested, Choe said.
He said the boy is facing a second-degree murder charge.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, due to the offender’s age, his name cannot be revealed. The accused is scheduled to appear in youth court Friday morning, Choe said.
Two handguns and ammunition were recovered in relation to the investigation, he added.
No other suspects are being sought, Choe said, but he added if anyone has any additional information to come forward to police or go through Crime Stoppers.
- 2 teens charged with murder in case of 16-year-old killed outside Halifax mall
- Green Party deputy leader given jail sentence for Fairy Creek old growth protests
- Cars torched, explosions heard in suspected arson in Montreal neighbourhood
- Gas station clerk stabbed several times during violent attack at Ultramar in Montreal
This is Toronto’s 8th homicide of 2022.
‘Disturbing’ increase in gun violence, Toronto police say
During Friday’s press conference, Toronto police said the fatal shooting has a traumatic impact and speaks to the disturbing increase in gun violence.
“In this case, the involvement of two teen boys is almost unimaginable, and as a community we should be devastated,” Staff Supt. Lauren Pogue, of Detective Operations, said.
“It is a sad and unfortunate example of the proliferation of handguns in our city.”
Pogue said investigators will be “relentless” into looking at the origin and how these firearms became involved in the first place.
She added in past experience, the majority of firearms have come from across the border in the United States.
Comments