As detectives pored over the details of a “senseless” shooting in the parking lot of a Toronto school on June 2, they zeroed in on a young suspect.
Weeks after the shooting, Toronto police announced the arrest of a 14-year-old boy, charging him on June 24 with two counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
His arrest, the force’s chief says, is part of a growing and deeply worrying trend that has seen gun violence, particularly among young people, in Ontario’s capital city.
Data released on Wednesday shows that shooting events in Toronto during the first half of the year are up 58 per cent compared with last year, while the number of fatal shootings increased from 16 in the first half of 2023 to 28 so far in 2024.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our city safe,” Toronto Police Service Chief Myron Demkiw said Wednesday.
Youth involvement in violent crime particularly appears to be growing.
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So far this year, police said youth firearm arrests are up 75 per cent compared with the same period in 2023 — with 114 arrests this year, compared with 65 the year before.
“It is very troubling when a young person makes the decision to pick up a firearm and pull the trigger,” Demkiw said.
He called on all levels of government to tackle the issue of youth violence “long before a young person makes the decision to get involved” with criminal activity.
While firearm discharges and fatal shootings are both up, Demkiw stressed the majority of gunshots reported in Toronto are not fatal and do not necessarily even hit a victim.
He said the force continued to push to reduce gun violence in Toronto.
“We remain focused on investigations and bringing those responsible to justice.”
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