Danforth drive-by shooting leaves 20-year-old Toronto man dead

Torontonians who live near Danforth Avenue are saying enough is enough after a young man was killed early Sunday morning during a drive-by shooting near Coxwell Avenue.

The victim has been identified as Abdullah Farah, 20, of Toronto.

Police said they received several calls about the sound of gunshots around 1:30 a.m. The shots came from a moving vehicle, Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told CBC News. Anywhere from four to eight shots were fired.

Police arrived a short time later and found a victim without vital signs outside 1524 Danforth Ave. They said he was lying on the sidewalk between two parked cars on the side of a café.

An ambulance took him to the hospital, where he later died.

Police say the homicide team is investigating but they have no information on who may have been inside the vehicle when shots were fired. However, they do believe the vehicle involved was a white sedan travelling eastbound on Danforth Avenue at the time of the shooting.

'People are frustrated'

Local residents and councillors converged outside Cloud Nine Café to speak about the recent spate of violence in the area.

Coun. Mary Fragedakis told CBC News these violent incidents on Danforth Avenue are "troubling." Since September 2013, two other murders have occurred in the same area.

"I don't believe that lightning can strike three times in the same place, or near the same place," Fragedakis said.

​"People are frustrated and we're frustrated along with them," she said. "We want action."

Residents feel unsafe

Michael Rusek lives in the area and told reporters he is "very concerned" with the string of violence. He said city councillors can't blame bureaucracy for being unable to address the issue.

"Change the laws so that we can tackle these issues," he said. "We can't use bureaucracy as an excuse anymore because people are being shot, residents are feeling unsafe."

Coun. Paula Fletcher echoed Rusek's concerned and said anyone walking by could've been hit by the flying bullets.

"We really are dealing with a systemic issue," she said. "I want to make sure that this location is dealt with."

Both councillors have called on several city officials, including Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders, to do more to ensure the violence on Danforth Avenue comes to an end. 

Following the rally, Rusek wrote on Facebook that he received a call from Fragedakis informing him that the café's lease is being terminated and that the property owner has announced she will be finding new tenants.