Police say they do not yet know the motive in a fatal drive-by shooting in Rexdale that left a 33-year-old father dead.

Andre Phoenix was shot to death in the parking lot of a plaza near John Garland Boulevard and Martin Grove Road at around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Police previously said he was walking with his girlfriend to get pizza at a shop in the plaza when a vehicle approached the parking lot.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference Friday, Det. Jeff Taveres said police believe Phoenix noticed the vehicle and deliberately put distance between himself and the person he was with.

“Although we don’t have any audio from the video we were able to obtain, we can definitely see that the witness walks further away from Mr. Phoenix and then the vehicle approaches Mr. Phoenix,” Taveres said.

“At this time, the vehicle stopped short of the deceased, an interaction occurred between the deceased and the occupants of the vehicle, and gunfire came from within the vehicle, striking the deceased.”

The suspect vehicle, described by police as a light-coloured, four-door car, then took off westbound on John Garland Boulevard.

Police have not yet released any suspect descriptions and say it is not known if the victim knew the occupants of the vehicle.

“At this time we have no information revealing any motive,” Taveres said.

Phoenix, who does not live in the neighbourhood where he was shot, was visiting a friend in the area at the time, Taveres added.

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to contact homicide investigators.