Toronto police to take over shooting investigation

Toronto police tweeted in the early hours of Wednesday that Homicide Squad detectives will now take over the investigation into the death of a man who was found at the scene of a triple shooting.

Five men in their early 20s were shot Tuesday night in Brampton, east of Toronto. Two were killed and three injured, including a 16-year-old boy, who is in critical condition. Police said Wednesday that he’s in stable condition.

Investigators have issued a news release requesting the public’s help. They said that earlier reports indicating that the incident may have happened after a domestic dispute have been unfounded, with “strong indications” that it was a random incident.

Police initially said two male victims were killed. They later said it was believed one of the victims died as a result of the incident and that it wasn’t clear whether the other victim was killed by gunfire or had died of other means.

“We’ve heard different reports of what was said in the house and we have to get to the bottom of what was being said,” said Constable Allyson Douglas-Cook.

“We don’t want to pin it on one suspect, one group, one group of suspects,” she said. “It’s almost like an organized crime — it seems like there are many groups of people and no one is doing their part.”

Police revealed early Wednesday that the man who died had been shot twice in the abdomen, a source told CNN.

“The Homicide Squad will now take over the investigation into the quadruple shooting,” police said in a Twitter post. “Homicide Officers have attended the scene and the area has been cordoned off.”

‘This is my home, it’s where I came from’

One resident who lives near the scene of the shooting, Mr. McInnis, told CNN that he had been there Tuesday night. He told CNN he was woken up by what he thought was a motorcyclist.

“And then I heard two, probably four shots, and then that’s it,” he said.

“It hit my window,” he added. “I was actually at the end of my driveway, right by my window. I couldn’t go inside. I wasn’t in a position to do that, but I was behind the door.”

Another man said the scene was very “dramatic.”

“This is my home, it’s where I came from,” he said. “This is so abnormal.”

Homicide, or police homicide, is a crime that involves the prosecution of a death on Canada’s justice system.

Multiple investigations

Police said on Tuesday that officers found the three surviving victims in an alley between two homes in the Brampton community of Brisebois Avenue.

“Initial evidence points to the incident taking place inside of the first home,” Toronto police Cmdr. Jennifer McClymont said. “It’s possible that the shooting may have stemmed from an incident that occurred prior to the shooting inside the first home.”

“It’s very chaotic, the house is completely trashed,” the source said. “We have blood, victims, cops, blood is everywhere.”

At least one suspect is believed to have escaped by vehicle, Constable Douglas-Cook said Tuesday.

Four other homes were evacuated in the area and a number of nearby roads were closed, she said.

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