A 14-year-old girl is dead after she was found shot in Mississauga on Tuesday, police say.
Peel Regional Police said officers were called to a residential building in the area of Darcel Avenue and Etude Drive, near Goreway Drive and Derry Road, around 9 p.m. to check on the wellbeing of a female.
Police said officers located the girl suffering from a gunshot wound.
She died at the scene.
Global News spoke to neighbours who said the young girl immigrated to Canada 10 years ago from Jamaica and lived with her parents and older brother.
A GoFundMe set up by a neighbour identifies her as 14-year-old Taffash Riley.
“The pain this family is going through is unimaginable. I hope, as a community, we can come together and show our support and help send Taffash home,” the GoFundMe read.
Peel police said its homicide unit is now investigating.
“This is being investigated as a homicide, however, the exact circumstances surrounding this incident are still unclear,” police said.
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board identified the girl as a student at a nearby school.
“The DPCDSB is saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life of a Grade 9 member of our Ascension of our Lord Catholic Secondary School community,” the board said in a statement.
“As a Catholic community, we pray for the young woman, her family and friends.”
The shooting happened in the same area where in September 2019, 17-year-old Jonathan Davis was shot and killed and five were others injured. In August of last year, a 17-year-old boy was also shot in the area but survived.
Anyone with information on the latest shooting is being asked to contact investigators at 905-453-2121 ext. 3205 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
— With files from Catherine McDonald