TORONTO

TORONTO - A man was allegedly showing off his pistol when it accidentally discharged at a party in North York Thursday night and wounded an 18-year-old woman.

Toronto Police allege the woman left the party with the gunman and called 911 just after 10:30 p.m. from the area of Sheppard Ave. E. and Provost Dr., just west of Leslie St., with a "made up" story.

"The victim claimed she was shot during a robbery," Const. Victor Kwong said Friday.

The tall tale briefly led cops to believe the woman was the third innocent victim targeted by violence in less than a week, a source told the Sun.

"But our investigation later revealed the shooting happened at a party," Kwong said. "A 27-year-old man was trying to show off his gun to the woman and he accidentally shot her."

He said the woman was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to her arm.

"It's not life-threatening," Kwong said.

The shooting came barely 48 hours after a botched street robbery in which cancer researcher Mark Ersting, 39, stabbed to death while out for an evening stroll on McGill St., near Ryerson University.

Calvin Michael Nimoh, 21, was arrested an hour later — allegedly during another violent robbery — and charged with second-degree murder.

And last Friday afternoon Rosemarie Junor, 28, was shopping at a Shoppers Drug Mart, near Bay and Wellington Sts., when police say a woman attacked her "without provocation."

The stranger plunged a knife into the Scarborough woman's chest and she died five days later.

Rohinie Bisesar, 40, is charged with second-degree murder in that killing.

Kwong said a man was arrested following Thursday night's accidental shooting but the gun has not been recovered.

The accused, whose name was not immediately released, is charge with aggravated assault and gun-related offences.

chris.doucette@sunmedia.ca

chris.doucette@sunmedia.ca