

Chris Herhalt, CP24.com





A handsome, “model-like” man may be responsible for a murder that took place last year in the city’s Entertainment District.

The victim, 28-year-old Joel Alexander, was gunned down on a Friday afternoon last December in a parking lot off of Peter Street, north of King Street West.

Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said that Alexander was sitting in his car with a female companion at about 4:15 p.m. on Dec. 11, when they were targeted by a drive-by shooter.

A vehicle heading north on Peter Street suddenly pulled a U-turn to park parallel to Alexander’s car and a suspect inside fired “more than five” gunshots from the passenger side, Browne said.

Alexander was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His female companion was not injured in the shooting.

After collecting surveillance camera footage and speaking to a number of witnesses, Browne said police have developed a composite sketch of the alleged shooter.

“He’s approximately 30 years of age and he is described as being very good-looking or a model-like gentleman,” Browne said, adding the suspect was “well-dressed” at the time of the shooting.

The suspect was black with a light complexion, Browne said.

Browne said the suspect vehicle was a 2006 Lexus 250 or 350 sedan, with heavily-tinted windows.

The Lexus was seen by witnesses “ in a number of locations” near the shooting scene before the murder, and Browne said the vehicle was following Alexander’s vehicle for between 30 minutes to an hour before the shooting.

Police have not yet cited a motive for the shooting, but Browne said Alexander’s “lifestyle certainly may have put him at a higher risk for an incident such as this.”

Though Browne refused to go into specifics about the victim’s lifestyle, he said Alexander did not have any specific ties to any known gang.

Alexander and his companion had parked in the parking lot with intention of buying something nearby, Browne said.

“As they arrived on scene, the shooting occurred,” Browne said.

Browne said they are still looking for witnesses to come forward.

“This was at approximately four o’clock on a Friday afternoon; there was an immense amount of people in and around the area.”

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).