Police are searching for two suspects after a deadly double shooting in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood.
Officers were called to a residential area on Bain Avenue, near Logan Avenue, shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday night for reports of gunshots.
Two male victims were located at the scene. One was pronounced dead and the other was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.
Police have not identified the victims, but said they are believed to be in their late teens or early 20s.
It’s unclear where exactly the shooting occurred – or where the victims were found – but several evidence markers could be seen on and around a civilian vehicle which remains parked on Bain Avenue.
Speaking to reporters, Det. Sgt. Alan Bartlett said it’s still unknown if the victims were inside that vehicle when they were shot. He said the car is “of interest” to investigators and that the gunshots appear to have been fired in clusters, which might suggest a targeted shooting.
“I don’t believe that this was a random act at this point, but it’s very early for me to speculate,” he said, adding that he was “hesitant” to speak to reports that the victims were gunned down in an ambush-style attack.
Police initially described the suspects as two males, who were dressed in dark clothing and last seen running towards Withrow Park. However, Barlett said that due to some “conflicting information” from eyewitnesses it’s possible the suspects were female.
Bain Avenue has been blocked off as the investigation gets underway and Bartlett said residents can expect to see a large police presence for the “foreseeable future.”
“This is a densely-populated residential area. I think the residents of this area and the residents of the city of Toronto are right to be concerned about gun violence, but the Toronto Police Service are doing everything that we can do to address that,” he said.
This is the second shooting in the east-end Toronto neighbourhood in as many months. On March 21, police were called to nearby Jones and Strathcona avenues for reports of gunshots. Three teenage boys were injured in that incident.
Bartlett said at this time there is nothing to suggest that the two shootings are related.
Some residents in the area said they heard “multiple” gunshots late Tuesday night, as some neighbours yelled to others to “stay inside.”
“We heard the bangs and it sounded like gunshots. And then I came downstairs, opened the back door and I heard someone screaming for help…by the time I got out here police were already here,” one resident said.
“I had no idea that that’s what happened…I assume it wasn’t random, but you kind of wonder what happened. Definitely sad,” said another.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has video surveillance from the area at the time to contact them.
