Toronto police say they are continuing to search for three male suspects who were seen on bikes near the site of a fatal double shooting in the city’s west end Friday afternoon.
The shooting occurred at a housing complex on Grandravine Drive in the Jane Street and Finch Avenue West area at around 1:30 p.m.
One of the victims, identified by police as 16-year-old O’She Doyles-Whyte, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other victim, identified by police as 15-year-old Kwame Duodu, was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died.
The victims were not known to police.
“The appeal remains the same. The three individuals that were seen on the bicycles are my primary focus right now and certainly I am reaching out to all three of them at this point,” Det. Sgt. Terry Browne told CP24 Saturday morning. “There is nothing to suggest that all three were the actual shooter in this, so if you weren’t the shooter and were involved it probably would be a good idea to contact counsel and then contact me and let me know what your involvement was.”
Officers have retrieved surveillance camera video from the building where the shooting took place and are reviewing the tape to determine whether it captured any of the suspects.
Police also continue to canvass the housing complex for witnesses and Browne said he is confident that there are people out there who got a look at the shooter.
“This is a very tight-knit community and the complex itself, the way it is designed, anyone living there would have seen persons coming and going, especially three individuals on bikes,” he said. “I am appealing to anyone who was in the area to take their minds back and contact us if they saw or heard anything related to the persons that we are looking for.”
Shootings have plagued area in recent months
Friday’s shooting marked the fourth time that shots rang out in the immediate area in the last six months, with two of those shootings also resulting in the death of young men.
In February, 15-year-old St. Aubyn Rodney was fatally shot while in the company of friends at a nearby apartment complex and in July 15-year-old Tahj Loor-Walters was gunned down in a plaza parking lot.
Loor-Walters was rushed to hospital, but succumbed to his injuries two weeks later.
“As an investigator I would be negligent not too look at all of the shootings that have taken place,” Browne said Saturday. “We are very early into this, there is nothing to suggest that there is an association or connection, but clearly it is something I’m looking at.”
Autopsies are currently underway on both victims in Friday’s shooting.
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