Toronto police charge man with murder after random shootings of two 'completely innocent' men

Accused did not know two fatal shooting victims Richard Johnathan Edwin made his first court appearance for two first-degree murder charges for the fatal shooting of two people.

Police have arrested a man they say is responsible for a pair of random shootings in Toronto that killed two "completely innocent" men just going about their lives.

Toronto police announced on Tuesday that 39-year-old Richard Jonathan Edwin has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Kartik Vasudev and Elijah Eleazar Mahepath.

Vasudev, a 21-year-old Seneca College student, was shot on April 7 outside the Glen Road entrance to Sherbourne Station at around 5 p.m.

The second shooting took place in the vicinity of Dundas and George streets about 48 hours later.

Police said Mahepath, 35, was walking in the area after picking up groceries when he too was fatally shot by the suspect.

Investigators say the suspect had no verbal interaction with either victim, and may not have even been in a position where he was able to make out their faces.

"We have nothing to suggest that he knew either one of them and what we believe, at this stage anyways, is that it was what we do describe as random. It was a chance meeting, a chance passing and for reasons that are only known to the suspect these two people were victimized on that day and now are dead," Det. Sgt. Terry Browne told reporters during a news conference Tuesday.

Browne said that video surveillance footage was used to track the suspect 'both from the area where he resides, to the area of the shooting, and then back to his residence."

The suspect was then arrested at his residence in the Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West area on Sunday night, police say.

At the time of his arrest, police allege there were multiple loaded firearms found in his residence, including a rifle that Browne said was capable of "causing great carnage if used."

"My personal opinion is there were going to be more victims," Police Chief James Ramer said during the news conference. "When? I don’t know. But he had an arsenal at home and quite frankly I believe this may have just been the first step."