Toronto police have identified the man gunned down in a daylight drive-by shooting in the Entertainment District Friday as 28-year-old Joel Alexander.

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Det.- Sgt. Terry Browne said Alexander was fatally shot while sitting in a car in a parking lot on Peter Street near Adelaide Street shortly after 4 p.m. Friday.

Police say the suspect pulled up beside Alexander's vehicle and fired as many as 10 shots at the car.

Alexander was taken to hospital but later died.

A female, who was also inside the victim’s vehicle at the time of the shooting, was not physically injured.

“She, of course, is extremely emotionally scarred. Physically, she is well. As you can well imagine, coming across something like this, multiple shots being fired, not being aware that this was happening, she is a great state of shock,” Browne said.

Police have not released any information on possible suspects but say they are searching for a silver, compact, four-door vehicle that was seen fleeing southbound from the scene of the crime and then west on King Street.

“We suspect that this vehicle would have been travelling at a high-rate of speed,” Browne said.

Mayor John Tory told reporters Saturday that he believed the incident may have been gang-related, but Browne could not confirm that detail, saying only that the motive is not yet known.

“I can certainly say as an investigator, there is no doubt in my mind whoever did this to Mr. Alexander was certainly looking for him. For this to have occurred, it wasn’t random. Certainly, he had showed up at this location only moments earlier so whoever it was that did this either were following him or had a clue where he was going to be,” Browne said.

The make of the vehicle the victim was driving was an Infiniti but police say Alexander was not the registered owner of the car.

Browne said he does know why Alexander was in the area but added that police will not be releasing that information at this time.

While Browne confirmed that the victim was known to police, he would not elaborate on Alexander’s past interaction with the Toronto Police Service.

“He did have his difficulties in the past. That’s not something I am going to expand on right now obviously. Our focus is on him as a victim of this crime and that’s how we are going to be proceeding with this," he said, adding that Alexander was the father of a five-year-old child.

Browne said the victim’s family wanted to extend their appreciation to the emergency responders and to those who are assisting with the case.

“They have asked for privacy at this point as they are going through a very difficult time and are trying to grieve,” he added.

Investigators are currently going through security camera footage in the area.

“We have certainly gleaned some evidence from some of the cameras that are in the area with regards with what took place,” Browne said.

The homicide detective said there was heavy foot traffic in the area at the time of the shooting.

“It was a callous act that someone did… we are very fortunate that no one else was injured.”

Police are urging any witnesses who have not yet come forward to contact investigators immediately.

“It’s the eyes and the ears of people that were in the area that are actually going to help solve this case," Browne concluded.

Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.