A 15-year-old boy has been taken to hospital after a shooting at a Toronto high school on Thursday, officials say.
Toronto police said the incident occurred just after noon at Weston Collegiate Institute in the Pine Street and MacDonald Avenue area.
Toronto police Insp. Ryan Forde told reporters that a student was shot in the parking lot of the school by a suspect or suspects in a vehicle.
Forde said the student was shot in the upper part of his chest.
According to Forde, the student re-entered the school, where he was tended to by teachers and staff until paramedics arrived.
Forde said the suspect vehicle drove off in an unknown direction.
Forde said police do not have a suspect description or a vehicle description at this time, noting that the investigation is “ongoing.”
He said it is not immediately clear if the shooting was targeted or if the victim and suspect or suspects know one another.
Forde said officers are canvassing for witnesses and for surveillance or dashcam footage of the incident.
According to Forde, no other injuries were reported.
Toronto paramedics told Global News the victim was taken to a trauma centre in serious condition.
Forde said the victim remains in hospital in a critical care unit, adding that his injuries are considered life-threatening.
The school was temporarily placed into lockdown after the incident.
Speaking to reporters, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesperson Ryan Bird said the victim was a 15-year-old boy.
He is a student at the school in Grade 10, Bird confirmed.
“Obviously we’re thinking of him his family, loved ones, and the staff and students here at the school right now,” Bird said. “I can tell you that the lockdown has slowly been lifted, students are being relocated to two area elementary schools for the remainder of the day — obviously not much more of that day to happen — but they are relocated elsewhere, as police continue their investigation.”
Bird said members of the board’s professional support services teams will be made available to speak to students if they feel they need support.