Police say they have arrested two suspects in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy at a Weston Road pizza place this past fall and expect two other suspects in the case to turn themselves in “sooner rather than later.”
Jarryl Hagley was eating with four friends inside a Pizza Pizza location on Weston Road near Lawrence Avenue at around 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 16 when two males, one armed with a sawed-off-shotgun and the other armed with a handgun, burst into the restaurant and opened fire.
Hagley, who was struck in the chest by pellets from the shotgun, subsequently ran to a back washroom to flee from his attackers but collapsed and lost consciousness a short time later. He was then rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Following the shooting, police released surveillance camera footage that showed three suspects and a possible getaway vehicle.
The video captured the vehicle pulling into a parking lot off nearby Little Avenue, at which point the three suspects got out. The video then showed the suspects walking east on Weston Road towards the Pizza Pizza. At the time, police said that they believed two of the males quickly ducked into the pizza shop and fired a total of seven shots while the third male stood watch.
The suspects then ran away from the scene via Weston Road.
Winston Poyser, 24, and Shakiyl Shaw, 23, both of Toronto, were arrested on Thursday following the execution of search warrants within the City of Toronto. Poyser and Shaw are both charged with first-degree murder in Hagley’s death.
Police say that they have also been in contact with a lawyer representing Lenneil Shaw, 23, and Mohamed Ali Nur, 18, and expect the two men to turn themselves in. Shaw and Nur are also expected to be charged with first-degree murder.
Shakiyl Shaw is the twin brother of Lenneil Shaw, according to police.
“Defence council has reached out to our office and efforts are being made for them to turn themselves in,” Det. Paul Worden told reporters on Thursday afternoon. “No specifics have been reached yet but it (their surrender) will be sooner rather than later.”
Police have not yet provided a motive for Hagley’s murder, but Worden told reporters that he is confident that the shooting was “planned and deliberate.”
The detective also said that “it may come out that there was some element of gang activity as it related to the two groups” but he said that investigators do not believe the shooting itself was gang-related.
While police initially said Hagley’s friends may have been the intended target, Worden indicated that may not be the case.
“I don’t want to get into too much detail but we are going to allege a motive in this attack that goes hand in hand with the charge of first-degree murder,” he said.
According to Worden, the surveillance footage that was released along with tips from the public both played a significant role in the arrest of suspects on Thursday.
Delma Hagley , the victim’s mother, told CP24 that the pain of losing her son has only gotten worse.
She said her son would have celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday. A memorial continues to grow outside the pizza place where 17-year-old Hagley was fatally shot.
“Up to this point, I still can’t really comprehend that my son really isn’t here,” she told CP24 from outside the restaurant.
“I still listen to see if he would knock on the door or give me a hug or give me a kiss, or call out my name or say ‘mommy.’ As the days progress, it’s still hard to comprehend.”
Delma said she doesn’t believe her son knew the gunmen but that the friends Hagley was with that night did.
“If they consider him as friends, why are they not saying anything? That’s my question. They’re still not saying anything,” she said of her son’s friends. “I’m wondering why they’re not saying anything.”
She went on to urge the remaining two suspects to turn themselves in.
“I know they cannot bring my son back to life,” she said. “Although he is dead, I want justice for him. I want these men off the streets. You never know what could happen again.”
