Police have determined that two men who were fatally shot in the city’s east end last month opened fire on one another following a chance encounter on a sidewalk.

According to police, Jonathan Stefan Khan, 20, and Shawn Chestnut-Reddick, 22, bumped into each other in front of a vacant storefront on Danforth Avenue east of Woodbine Avenue on the night of March 19 and got into a physical skirmish stemming from a previous dispute.

The two then allegedly took out handguns and exchanged fire.

Khan suffered seven gunshot wounds and Chestnut-Reddick suffered three gunshot wounds.

Both men were rushed to hospital, but were pronounced dead a short time later.

“It occurred entirely on the sidewalk and the distance between the two men would have been the width of the sidewalk,” Det. Shawn Mahoney told reporters Wednesday morning. “This encounter could have occurred anywhere.”

The exact nature of the dispute between the men is not known nor is it clear which man pulled out his gun first.

Mahoney said both victims “travelled in the same circles” and were known to police, though he refused to speculate on what would have prompted them to target each other on the night in question.

“There were problems between the two of them and I can’t speculate on exactly which one caused the incident that day,” Mahoney told reporters.

Police looking for third party who fled scene

One of the handguns used in the shooting was recovered under Khan’s body, but the second handgun was removed from the scene by a third party.

Police are now looking for that party, who is believed to have been walking with one of the victims when the dispute first broke out.

It is not known what that person would be charged with, but Mahoney suggested that a charge of accessory after the fact to murder is a “possibility.”

“From the information we have, this individual removed the firearm from the person and fled the scene, Mahoney told reporters in response to a question about whether the party provided aid to either victim.

Help from community credited in quick resolution

The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on March 19 and sent shockwaves through the community.

Speaking with reporters, Mahoney credited nearby residents with helping police break the case.

“We had a number of witnesses come forward and provide crucial information that allowed us to piece this together,” he said. “It was an excellent response form the people in that area.”

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