7/17/2012
The Homicide Unit has released the identity of two victims from Monday night's shooting.
They are 14 year-old Shyanne Charles of Toronto and 23 year-old Joshua Yasay of Ajax.
Toronto Police, alongside the Homicide Squad and the Guns & Gangs Unit, continue to investigate.
The Crime scene is being examined by Homicide, Forensics and Traffic Services.
A complete canvass by uniformed officers is also in full swing.
Around 10:30 last night, at least two people opened fire at a block party, in a community housing development near Lawrence & Morningside.
25 people suffered bullet wounds during the incident, with two victims dying from injuries suffered.
Victims ranged in age from 22 months to 33 years old.
The infant was grazed by a bullet, and remains in hospital, while a man in his 20's remains in critical condition.
Police note that one person has been taken as a person of interest, though no information has been released.
Blair commented this morning that this is the worst incident of gun violence to ever rock the city, while Mayor Rob Ford continued to reiterate, that Toronto, is the safest city in the world.
Witnesses to the shooting, or anyone in the general vicinity, is being asked to leave information with police, or on their social media sites.
Updated Statement by Mayor Rob Ford
Toronto is a safe city. It's one of the safest cities in the world. Toronto is a great place to live and raise a family. It's a great place to invest and create jobs. However, we cannot be complacent. We cannot stand by and watch criminals bring violence to our streets and backyards. It's time for all of us to work together to keep our city safe.
The events of last night are heartbreaking. A fun, family-focused community event quickly turned into a violent nightmare. Two innocent young people are dead because some idiot thugs decided to settle a disagreement with violence. That is not acceptable in our city. I will not accept it. I am furious about it.
It's time to say "enough is enough." It is time to take action against the spineless cowards causing this violence.
This is about gangs and gang violence. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if they hurt people with guns or knives, bats or bricks. There is no room in Toronto for violent gangs.
Some people have suggested there is a gang war brewing. I don't know if that's true. But, I do know it's time for us to declare war on these violent gangs.
Earlier today, I spoke with Premier McGuinty. I hope to meet with him in the near future to discuss how we can work together to combat gang violence. I will also be calling on the Prime Minister for his continued support as well.
We must use every legal means to make life for these thugs miserable, to put them behind bars, or to run them out of town. We will not rest until being a gang member is a miserable, undesirable life.
We will need your help to do this. And you can start helping right now. Hundreds of people were at the party Monday night. Dozens of people saw what happened. Many people know who the gang members are. We have the greatest police service in the world, but they need your help.
If you were at the party last night – or if you know anything at all that may help police arrest these criminals – I strongly encourage you to call 43 Division police at 416.808.4300. Or, if you want to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
We are all in this together. With your help, we will catch these criminals and get them off our streets.
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