Boy, 14, charged with 1st-degree murder in Etobicoke mass shooting
5 men were shot on June 2 in the parking lot of North Albion Collegiate Institute
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in a mass shooting that left two men dead and three others injured earlier this month, Toronto police say.
The accused has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder, Det.-Sgt. Phillip Campbell told reporters at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Campbell said the teen was arrested the day after the shooting and charged on Monday after a stolen vehicle investigation. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
"These senseless acts of violence resulted in the deaths of two innocent people and families who will forever be devastated by the loss of their loved ones," Campbell said.
No 'known connection' between suspects, victims: police
According to police, nine men were gathered on the night of June 2 in the parking lot of North Albion Collegiate Institute, a high school in the city's west end near the corner of Mount Olive Drive and Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke. The men were there after a soccer game.
Police said a dark pickup truck arrived at the parking lot and that two people got out of the vehicle and opened fire on the men, before driving off.
Five men were "indiscriminately shot at" and taken to hospital, Campbell said. Two men have since died. Those who were injured suffered either life-altering or non-life-threatening injuries, police have said.
One is in very serious condition with injuries that he will likely be dealing with for the rest of his life, police said.
"There was no known connection between the men and suspects," Campbell added.
Investigators have identified the two men who died as Delroy "George" Parkes, 61, formerly of Woodstock, Ont., and Toronto man Seymour Gibbs, 46. Parkes died shortly after he arrived at the hospital on June 2, while Gibbs died on June 5 from medical complications resulting from his injuries, police said.
Parkes and Gibbs are the city's 34th and 35th homicide victims of the year.
Stolen vehicle probe led to arrest of youth, police say
Hours after the shooting on June 3, a stolen truck was found to have hit an empty parked vehicle, Campbell said. A male youth tried to flee the vehicle on foot but was arrested by police after a short chase.
After police investigated, they discovered that the youth was one of the suspects involved in the shooting.
Campbell said police believe the stolen truck is the same vehicle that the shooting suspects drove to the parking lot.
"This investigation is far from over," Campbell said.
"This was a mass shooting in our city and we now know there are likely individuals out there who can tell us the identities of the other people responsible for these murders."
Campbell said investigators still believe there were at least two people involved in the shooting, but have not yet determined a motive.
Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner said there was an outpouring of support from the community to help police in their investigation of the shooting, which he called "an incredibly unbelievable act."
Police are urging anyone with additional information to come forward.
With files from John Rieti and Muriel Draaisma