海角社区官网

Gunfire erupted just after 11 p.m. Tuesday along a stretch of Bain Avenue, just west of Logan Avenue. When police arrived, they found two male victims believed to be in their late teens or early 20s. One was pronounced dead at the scene; the other was taken to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Witnesses described for the Star the moments leading up to the deadly incident. The Star is not identifying them, given concerns about their safety, with the killers still at large.

The witnesses said they were on their way home just before聽11:15 p.m., when they saw two masked suspects run out from one side of the street toward a parked car. They fired on the car multiple times.

The driver of the targeted car opened his door and fell out. One witness said he grabbed his first-aid kit to help the victim, a young man.

Residents in the nearby Bain housing co-operative also came out to help.

Sophie, who lives in the complex, said she had crossed paths with the suspects just moments before the gunfire. When she heard the shots, she ran toward the sound and found one of the victims with bullet wounds.

鈥淚t was just awful” Sophie, who asked not to be fully identified due to safety concerns, told the Star the next morning while walking her dog.聽

“I was tending to the bullet wounds of the victim, and then I found out he passed away,” she said. “I’m feeling pretty shaken up today.”

Police on Wednesday said they were still working to identify the victims and notify their families.聽

Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, 海角社区官网police Det. Sgt. Alan Bartlett did not confirm details reported by witnesses but said the clustered nature of the gunshots suggest the incident may have been targeted.聽

“I don’t believe this was a random act, at this point,” Bartlett said, noting that the investigation was still in early stages.

Police say the two male suspects were wearing dark clothing and appeared to be five-foot-five and five-foot-eight, respectively. They were last seen fleeing the scene on foot toward聽.

By Wednesday, a Ford Edge seemingly at the centre of the police investigation remained parked on Bain Avenue, its hazard lights flashing. The front passenger window had been shattered and the door was riddled with bullet holes. Medical equipment was still strewn across the pavement.

Police say residents in the area can expect an increased officer presence while the investigation continues.

Much of the one-way avenue where the shooting occurred is lined with two-storey homes and apartments that make up the Bain housing complex, a non-profit housing co-operative in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood.

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Several residents of the co-op who spoke to the Star said they were going about their evening routines聽鈥� watching TV on the sofa, getting ready for bed and arriving home from sports games聽鈥� when they were alerted to the gunfire outside. They described hearing multiple gunshots in rapid succession.

鈥淚 could smell the gunpowder, even inside my house,鈥� said Mel Rose. 鈥淚 knew what was happening immediately.鈥�

Motioning toward the communal space outside her front step, Rose described the co-op as 鈥渁 community of families,” a place where skating rinks are built for kids and summer block parties are held.

To Marion Wehner, it wasn’t immediately clear the loud noises were gunshots. Lying in bed, she initially thought they were firecrackers聽鈥� something she said is a common occurrence in nearby Withrow Park.

When she realized the severity of the situation, memories came flooding back of the 2018 Danforth Avenue shooting when a lone shooter opened fire on the busy street, killing two people and injured 13 others.

“I heard the shots from my house back when the Danforth shooting聽happened and, ever since, loud sounds put me on edge,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I found out it was another shooting, it just brought all that back.鈥�

Residents have “the right to be concerned about gun violence” in the city, Bartlett said Wednesday. It’s “very troubling,” he said.

But, the detective emphasized, “海角社区官网police are doing everything that we can do to address that.”

The late-night shooting comes just weeks after three teenage boys were hurt by gunfire a few blocks away.

That March 21 incident happened near Jones Avenue and Strathcona Avenue shortly before 11 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two boys with gunshot wounds. They were rushed to hospital. The next morning, police said they located a third male hurt in the shooting.

With the latest incident, investigators said the public should expect a heightened police presence in the area.聽

With files from Olivia Harbin