The sister of 32-year-old man said her brother was out getting food for his daughter the night before his birthday when he was fatally shot outside the North York Sheridan Mall on Friday night.

The shooting took place in the north parking lot of the mall in the area of Jane Street and Wilson Avenue at around 7:50 p.m.

Police initially said the victim – identified as Toronto-resident John Trevor Paul – was 33 years old at the time of his death but later confirmed he died before midnight on Friday, which was the day before his 33rd birthday.

At the scene, Det. Chris Ruhl told CP24 on Saturday morning that the victim was in the parking lot with a group of friends prior to the shooting.

Ruhl said three suspects approached the victim while one suspect stayed in the suspect vehicle during the altercation.

The victim suffered one gunshot to the chest in the incident.

Following the shooting, the victim was taken to a trauma centre via emergency run with life-threatening injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Ruhl confirmed the victim was not known to police.

Speaking with CP24 about the incident, the victim’s sister said she was expecting him to come back to her home when she got a phone call to head to the hospital on Friday night.

“Last night I was seeing my brother about an hour before the shooting because his birthday is today,” his sister said. “He brought his daughter to me and I asked him to go get us something to eat because she’s kind of picky and she wouldn’t want anything that is at my house. He said ‘okay.'”

“Then about one hour after I’m getting a call saying you should go to the hospital because your brother got shot.”

She said her brother was “a good person.”

“Anybody you ask will say my brother didn’t have problems with nobody.”

Family and friends of the victim gathered outside of the mall placing balloons and posters at the scene in honour of his birthday. Loved ones said he lived near the mall and had three children.

“He was my neighbour,” Linda Joe told CP24 at the scene. “He lived right next to me. He had a little daughter, every morning he came and take the daughter to school and take the daughter back in the evening

“What I know about him is (he is a) very friendly guy, very quiet.”

Also at the scene, another friend said the 32-year-old man was a “sweetheart” and a “happy child.”

No suspect descriptions have been released by police but they have released a security camera image showing three suspect in an effort to identify them. Officers also released a surveillance camera image of the suspect vehicle involved.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover funeral expenses for Paul.

Last month, 22-year-old Jovane Clarke was fatally shot after being chased inside the same mall by three suspects.

Officers said Clarke was ambushed on August 31 while returning to his car in the mall’s parking lot before one of the suspects chased him into the busy mall and shot him.

The homicide remains unsolved.

Speaking about Friday night’s incident on Saturday, Mayor John Tory told CTV News Toronto that the community needs to “keep moving forward.”

“I feel a sense of tragedy and loss every time we have a homicide in this city,” Tory said. “You can never afford to become complacent about acts of violence that take place but you have to keep moving forward.”

“You have to keep building the city up, helping people, supporting our police service to make sure the city remains what it is, which is the safest city in North America.”

Anyone with further information regarding Friday night’s shooting is asked to call police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).