

Chris Fox, CP24.com





A male victim who was driven to hospital is now in life-threatening condition after an apparent gunfight in the city’s east end overnight.

Police say that it appears that people in two separate cars were involved in some sort of exchange of gunfire on Walpole Avenue, which is in the vicinity of Greenwood Avenue and Gerrard Street.

The male victim sustained a gunshot wound to his head in that confrontation and was driven to a local hospital with injuries that were believed to be serious but are now considered to be life-threatening, police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante told CTV News Toronto.

Arrogante said the victim, a male in his 20’s, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and sources told CP24 he sustained one gunshot wound to the head.

One area resident who spoke with CP24 on Friday morning said that he heard the gunfire while using the bathroom at around 2:30 a.m. He said that he rushed outside after about a minute but by that point the vehicles had vanished.

Reports from the scene indicate that bullet holes from at least two different semi-automatic pistols have been found on four vehicles in the area. There was also a bullet hole visible on the exterior of one home.

“Remember the old garbage cans. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. That is what one series of shots sounded like. And then it was like somebody banging on a log. It was multiple shots and several thumping shots,” the resident who spoke to CP24 said.

Police told CTV News Toronto one male suspect was seen fleeing the area on foot with a handgun.

Area has been site of gun violence before

The shooting took place outside a low-rise Toronto Community Housing complex.

That complex was also the site of another high-profile shooting back in 2014, which claimed the life of 21-year-old Douglas Parker. Three other people were also wounded in the 2014 shooting.

“Look at the number of bullets fired here. Anyone could have been hit. It could have been a dreadfully sad occasion here in this neighbourhood,” Paula Fletcher, who represents the area on city council, told CP24 at the scene.

Fletcher said the street where the shooting took place is a “quiet hidden away” road where one would not usually expect to see such brazen violence.

She said that residents in the area rightly feel “violated.”

“They are very shocked that such a thing would take place here on this very quiet street. Their cars have been shot up, they can’t leave the neighbourhood and their garbage is out and they can’t get it picked up,” she said. “Your sense of security is really broken.”

As of noon, forensics officers were continuing to scour the scene and were expected to remain on site for an extended period of time.

No information has been released about potential suspects at this point, though police did recover a shattered rear-view mirror that ay have belonged to one of the suspect vehicles.

Speaking with CP24, Fletcher said that the shooting is another example of why the federal government needs to cede to a request from the city to ban the sale of handguns within Toronto’s boundaries.

“The city has asked so many times to get a handle on this. We are begging and pleading,” she said.