By Fakiha Baig and Paola Loriggio in Toronto
Two people who were shot at the same intersection in a northwest Toronto neighbourhood in less than a day were innocent victims who were attacked "indiscriminately," police said Tuesday.
Investigators said that while they can't rule out the possibility the attacks last Friday and Saturday were related to gang violence, there is no evidence the two people shot – one of them fatally – were in any way affiliated with gangs or "anything of that nature."
The two victims also have no connection with each other or the suspect, they said.
"We believe these two victims were shot indiscriminately," Det. Phil Campbell said at a news conference. "One person is dead and the other has had their life altered forever."
Supt. Andy Singh said it's important to note both of the victims were just going about their day when they were attacked.
"They were completely and utterly innocent, which is a big part of what has caused alarm in this community," he said.
No arrests have been made but police have released a photo of a suspect and said they found a stolen black Acura linked to the attacks in Hamilton.
The first shooting took place around 6 p.m. Friday when a 16-year-old boy was waiting for the bus alone on his way to a volleyball game, police said.
He was shot in the face, police said, and remains in critical condition with "potentially life-altering" injuries.
On Saturday afternoon, a man was shot while walking by a bus stop at the same intersection, police said. In that case, investigators have said he was shot three times – twice in the stomach – and later died in hospital.
He has now been identified as Adu Boakye, a 39-year-old man from Ghana who police said came to Toronto last November to support his family.
"Mr. Boakye was a father, an uncle, a nephew and a son," and leaves behind a wife and four kids, Campbell said.
Police said the shots were not fired from a vehicle, but rather by someone who approached the victims.
"This offender and/or offenders took it upon themselves to carry out violence, and whether that violence could be gang-related ... that is a possibility," Singh said.
He said the incidents have traumatized not only the victims' families, but the community at large.
"This was brazen, it was during the daylight hours, and that's why we want to bring this person to justice fairly quickly," he said.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said her office is in contact with police and city crisis response workers are available to check in with residents and provide counseling.
"The residents of this neighbourhood, many families with children, deserve to know they will be safe waiting at a bus stop or walking down the street," she wrote in a statement.
Residents of the neighbourhood have said the shootings have left them feeling uneasy, with some even opting to avoid taking the bus for some trips.
Police have ramped up their presence in the area of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue as they investigate the shootings, and are asking anyone with information on what happened to contact them.
Banner image: Toronto Police cars are pictured on Driftwood Avenue in Toronto, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. Police say two people who were shot at the same intersection in a northwest Toronto neighbourhood in less that a day were innocent bystanders who were attacked "indiscriminately." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2024.
