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Officials say a man has died after a shooting outside a plaza in Toronto‘s north end on Monday night.

A Toronto police spokesperson told Global News emergency crews were called to Dufferin Street, just north of Glencairn Avenue, at around 6:45 p.m.

When officers arrived, police said they found a man in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds.

READ MORE: Toronto police announce new project targeting gun violence after recent spike in shootings

A Toronto paramedics spokesperson said the man was taken to a trauma centre in critical condition. Police said the man later died in hospital.

Investigators have identified the victim as 72-year-old Toronto resident Vito Lapolla.

Police said they are searching for a male suspect who was described as being around five-feet-10 or five-feet-11 and having a thin build. He was last seen dressed all in black with a hooded sweater at the time of the shooting.

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Investigators said the suspect fled the area in a white SUV that was last seen travelling northbound on Dufferin Street.

Vito Lapolla, 72, of Toronto, has been identified as the victim by police. Handout / Toronto Police

Police said it’s still early in the investigation and that it’s unclear if the victim was targeted. Police said no one else was shot at.

The Toronto police homicide squad was called in to take over the investigation.

Coun. Mike Colle, who represents the area where the shooting happened, attended the scene and pleaded for action from the upper levels of government.

“This has been the summer of hell. We’ve had shootings all up and down our streets. It seems there is no end in sight. I just think people have got to wake up and demand that something be done about these shootings and all these guns coming into our city,” he told reporters Monday night.

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“We’ve got a federal election going on … We keep on talking about everything else, but we’ve got this dire situation here of so many guns and so many people willing to shoot people.

“The police are incredibly effective in working, but the cops can’t do this by themselves. We’ve got to change some of these laws to toughen up our bail system, gun possession, smuggling of guns.”

Meanwhile, Det.-Sgt. Andy Singh told reporters Monday night police are appealing for anyone in the area at around 6:40 p.m. with surveillance or dashcam video to call police at 416-808-1300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.

“Right now there is a shooter out there, so if there’s anybody that has any information in regards to this vehicle or the person who was here, we encourage them to come forward,” Singh said.

— With files from Gabby Rodrigues

Another gun death ,another shooting.Our Police cannot stop the carnage without help. — Mike Colle (@ColleMike) September 17, 2019

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Shooting update:

– the male victim of the shooting has succumbed to his injuries, he has been pronounced deceased in hospital

– our Homicide unit now has carriage of the investigation

– Homicide #46/2019#GO1782132^adc — Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) September 17, 2019