Toronto police are appealing for information and witnesses after three men were shot, one fatally, at an indoor soccer and basketball facility in North York over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Gunshots rang out shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday at La Liga Sports Complex, near Finch Avenue West and Alness Street, just west of Dufferin Street.
Edwin Farley Alvarado Quintero, 49, of Woodbrige, was rushed to a local trauma centre, but died of his injuries there on Monday morning. He is the city’s 56th homicide victim of the year.
The two other victims were also taken to hospital, one with life-threatening injuries. The other person’s inuries were described by police as serious.
Speaking to CP24 outside TPS headquarters on Monday, Det. Const. Shannon Whitehead urged anyone who knows anything about this shooting to come forward.
“We do believe that there were multiple people at the arena at the time of the incident and we are looking for anyone to come forward that witnessed the incident, anyone with footage, video footage, or any description of the suspect to come forward,” she said. “Any little bit of information will assist in the investigation.”
Whitehead said so far the suspect is only described as a male in his mid 20s. He was last seen wearing all dark clothing and a mask, she said.
Investigators are also still working to determine what may have led to the shooting, which police have not described as targeted at this point. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene.
It’s also not clear exactly what was happening inside La Liga when the shooting occurred. According to the complex’s website, the venue hosts indoor soccer games as well as salsa, Zumba, birthday parties, and other activities.
The Homicide and Missing Persons Unit is handling the investigation.
Anyone with further information should contact Toronto police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman.
