A 47-year-old man fatally shot inside a North York bar on Friday night was targeted, Toronto police say.
The shooting occurred at Avellino Social Club in the area of Islington Avenue and Millwick Drive at around 10 p.m.
When officers arrived, they located a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim has been identified as Robert Khananisho of Toronto.
"This is a targeted shooting. So I want to reassure the public, this is not a random shooting at a bar," Const. Alex Li told reporters on Saturday. "The individual was targeted and, unfortunately, was killed tragically as a result."
As for the motive behind the shooting, Li said homicide investigators will be working to determine that.
He noted that the bar was open at the time of the incident and appealed to patrons who have not spoken to investigators to contact them.
Police are also reviewing security video on the premises to piece what happened.
This was the second time police responded to the area for reports of shots fired. On March 31, officers located a vehicle with bullet holes. No injuries were reported. Police said the suspect fled in a white SUV.
When asked if the shooting is connected to last month's incident, Li said investigators are aware and are looking into it. However, at this time, they are not connected.
Khananisho is the city's 16th homicide victim of the year.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
