One of the victims of a stabbing that took place at a North York high school Tuesday afternoon has died in hospital while two other victims remain in hospital with serious injuries.
“This is now a homicide,” Duty Insp. Michael Williams told reporters Tuesday evening outside of Victoria Park Collegiate. “One of the young people that was transported to hospital by emergency run was unfortunately pronounced deceased.”
Toronto police were called to the school, located near Parkwoods Village Drive and Victoria Park Avenue, shortly after 3 p.m. for reports that a young person had been stabbed during a fight at the track and field area on school grounds after classes had been let out.
Two victims were initially located by police.
“One had been stabbed in the abdomen,” Williams said. “They were subsequently transported to hospital by emergency run, and that is the person that's been pronounced deceased.
He said the second victim was found with a stab wound to his thigh.
“They were transported to a local trauma centre and are receiving treatment right now but are thankfully in non-life threatening condition,” Williams said.
Nearly three hours after the stabbing, police said a third male victim was located at a nearby apartment and was transported to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers searching the area located one male suspect and took him into custody in connection with the stabbing.
William said police are now working to properly identify the deceased victim and to notify his next of kin.
It is not yet clear whether any of the victims were students at the school.
“It's unclear at this point if students were involved in the actual altercation,” Williams said. “We're still working to identify everyone properly and working with TDSB to determine if they are students. But we do believe there was a large group of people believed to be students who were in the area and we're obviously appealing to them. If you saw what happened or know about what led to this or the build-up to it, please contact the members of our homicide squad.”
Toronto District School Board spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz said the school will be open tomorrow and that grief counsellors and social workers will be available for members of the school community.
“Of course the investigation is really early so we don't know who is involved, but what we do know is that a lot of kids witnessed what happened and a lot of kids are upset,” Schwartz-Maltz said.
Police vehicles and caution tape could still be seen outside the school Tuesday night.
“What we do know is that there was a large group outside who witnessed the altercation and we know from calls we're getting at the school, we know from emails that are coming in that a lot of kids are really upset a lot of parents are upset and we will have all the supports they need for both staff and students tomorrow,” Schwartz-Maltz said.
