Arrests made in Scarborough pub mass shooting that injured 12
Toronto cops allege the accused were also behind numerous other incidents of gun violence in the GTA
Article content
Seven men and three boys have been rounded up for an assortment of alleged gun violence that has terrorized the city this spring – including a mass shooting at a Scarborough pub.
And Toronto Police say one man is still sought as part of their investigation — dubbed Project Nighthawk — which involves numerous incidents tied to the GTA’s ongoing tow truck war.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Arrests made in Scarborough pub mass shooting that injured 12 Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the mass shooting, Supt. Paul MacIntyre, of the Organized Crime Enforcement Unit, revealed the latest details of “what quickly became a very complex investigation” into the March 7 mass shooting that saw three masked gunmen burst into the Piper Arms pub at 520 Progress Ave. and open fire on patrons and staff.
A dozen people were injured in the pub shooting – nine by gunfire and four by flying debris.
“Some were shot multiple times. One person was shot six times and survived,” MacIntyre said during a news conference held Wednesday at police headquarters.
He said many of the victims are still recovering from “physical and emotional trauma” in the aftermath of the shooting.
“This investigation relied largely on traditional police work – not fingerprints, not DNA, just the determination of investigators to piece together critical information connecting individuals, timelines, and locations, to uncover the full scope of what happened,” MacIntyre said.
He said investigators ultimately uncovered “a network of individuals” with alleged ties to the mass shooting and an assortment of other violent incidents in various jurisdictions where stolen vehicles were often used by the culprits.
All but one of the incidents is tow truck-related, involving either tow truck businesses or tow truck employees, MacIntyre said, explaining only the Piper Arms pub shooting has not so far been linked to the towing industry.
“This was a terrifying series of events for the victims and for our city – a group of individuals opening fire in public spaces, seemingly without hesitation,” he said, adding the accused in the ongoing investigation each allegedly have ties to multiple incidents but are not believed to be gang members.
Police released video of some of the violence, including the pub shooting, and outlined the various incidents beginning with a shooting in Scarborough on March 1.
In that shooting, two males drove a stolen vehicle to a plaza at Markham Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. One male exited the vehicle and opened fire on a victim, leaving the person with non-life-threatening injuries before fleeing the area.
On March 4, three males arrived in the area of Weston Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W. in a stolen vehicle. One occupant exited the vehicle, then shot and wounded a victim who was walking away from a nearby tow yard.
The trio then drove to another nearby tow yard and shot a second victim, leaving that person with non-threatening injuries.
Later that night, cops alleged, the same trio drove the stolen vehicle to a gas station near Lawrence Ave. E. and Warden Ave. where two of them chased down and opened fire on a victim who was washing his vehicle. That victim also survived somehow.
Then on March 6, two males in a stolen vehicle opened fire on a vehicle that was exiting a tow yard near the West Mall and The Queensway. But nobody was hurt in that incident.
On March 7, three males arrived in a stolen vehicle and let loose a barrage of bullets inside the Piper Arms as the pub across the street from the Scarborough Town Centre celebrated its grand opening.
One gunman was armed with what appeared to be an assault-style rifle while the other two were armed with handguns.
On April 11, four males pulled up in a stolen vehicle at a financial institution near McLaughlin Rd. and Matheson Blvd. W., in Mississauga, where two of them tried to enter the business but were unsuccessful and fled.
Toronto Police later stopped the vehicle near Rexdale Blvd. and Hwy. 427 area. Two occupants allegedly tried to run away but were caught and arrested by officers.
Police alleged a loaded handgun with an extended magazine was seized during the arrests.
Police claimed another loaded firearm was recovered when two suspects in an allegedly stolen vehicle were arrested near Finch Ave. W. and Jane St. on May 26.
“The indiscriminate nature of this gun violence is hard to comprehend,” Chief Myron Demkiw said at the news conference.
He called the mass shooting at the Piper Arms pub “deeply unsettling” and said it was a “miracle” nobody was killed.
“This kind of brazen violence is completely unacceptable,” Demkiw added.
The 10 accused face a combined total of 203 charges.
Charged so far are Toronto residents Prayer Osakpemwehuan, 21; Robert Gidisu, 21; Sheldon Gordon, 19; Juevar Griffith, 19; Kayjean Morrison, 22; Nicoy Brooks, 19; Joshua Clarke-Richards, 19; and three boys – two aged 17 and one 15 – who can’t be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Daykwon Joseph, 20, of Toronto, is wanted for a slew of charges that include attempted murder.
Police urged anyone with information to call 416-808-2510.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.