A drive-by shooting in east Toronto Friday afternoon injured two people in separate vehicles, police say, both of whom were rushed to hospital.
Toronto police said emergency crews responded to the area of McCowan Road and Lawrence Avenue East at 2:41 p.m. for reports of shots being fired from a vehicle.
Police said a female and a male, who were in separate vehicles, were located with gunshot wounds.
Toronto paramedics said they took one person to hospital with life-threatening injuries and another with serious injuries from two separate scenes along McCowan Road, north of where police indicated they initially responded.
Paramedics said one scene was at the intersection with Ellesmere Avenue, while another was a block east at Bellamy Road.
In the area of McCowan Road and Ellesmere Avenue, a white Audi SUV was seen with bullet holes in the driver’s window.
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Speaking at a press conference later on Friday, Toronto police Insp. Maher Abdel-Malik said police were investigating a total of three scenes in connection with the shootings, all involving the same suspect vehicle.
“We don’t have any information on the number of occupants that were in that vehicle, however they targeted three separate victims in three separate vehicles,” Abdel-Malik said. “We believe the shootings happened from that vehicle, it started at McCowan and Lawrence and they came up to Ellesmere and across Ellesmere eastbound.”
Abdel-Malik said it is not clear whether the suspects and victims are known to each other. He also said the motive is unclear at this time.
Police are searching for a black Land Rover with a licence plate CWKK869.
Abdel-Malik said the occupants of the vehicle should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
He said anyone who sees the vehicle should not approach it, but call 9-1-1 immediately.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Fatal stabbing hours earlier
Earlier Friday, a man was killed in a stabbing not far from where the shooting took place.
Toronto police said the incident occurred at around 12:22 p.m. in the Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East area.
Police said a man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was pronounced dead.
A police spokesperson said there is no connection that they are aware of between the stabbing and shooting.
— With files from Hannah Jackson and The Canadian Press
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