Man and woman critically injured in King West Village shooting

Article content

A man and woman, both in their 30s, are in serious condition in hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries in an early morning shooting in King West Village.

At least 10 yellow evidence markers, some with multiple shell casings, could be seen at the entrance to a laneway off of Sudbury St. – near King St. W. and Shaw St. – leading to a section of townhouses.

Toronto Police Senior Duty Insp. Todd Jocko spoke to reporters at the scene on Friday as forensic officers were finishing up their portion of the investigation that began at 2:45 a.m. when a volley of shots were fired at a group of people.

“A group of friends were walking in the area when they were approached by a male riding a bike,” Jocko said. “Words were exchanged and the group continued on their way.”

“Right now, it does not appear they were known to each other,” he added.

“A short time later, the same individual approached them again, pulled out a firearm, and fired several rounds,” Jocko said, adding the gunman then fled westbound on Sudbury St.

“It very early on (in the investigation) – their injuries are considered life-threatening,” Jocko explained. “We can certainly appreciate how troubling this is. It is a brazen and violent act.”

Jocko offered limited details of the shooter – described only as a Black male riding a bike.

Jocko said police could not confirm what type of bike the gunman was riding — whether it was motorized, electric or pedalled.

A lot of evidence was seen throughout the area, including a pair of discarded women’s slides at the driveway entrance and what looked like a blood-covered handbag further up the alleyway.

Large pools of blood could be seen in the laneway and on a sidewalk beside a parked grey Mini Cooper where the injured woman was found.

An graphic image provided to the Toronto Sun, by a man who lives off the alleyway, shows an aerial view of three paramedics working on the man as he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood while firefighters and police officers stand near a stretcher.

Stray shots that missed the victims struck a third-floor window of a townhouse, as well as the window sill and a drainpipe – all of which were marked with police identification stickers.

A man and woman who live in the unit were hugged by a neighbour who said she heard the gunshots, but she didn’t want to speak about the shooting because her neighbours were too shaken up.

Mike, who lives in the complex and didn’t give his last name, said he works “late Pacific hours” and was up at the time watching TV when he suddenly heard “screams” for assistance and what sounded like a dirt bike or motorcycle “speed off.”

“I came out to my balcony and heard the screams that somebody had been shot,” Mike recalled. “I walked around the corner a saw a girl, she didn’t have her shirt on, and I think she must have been using it to stop the bleeding.”

“Because there was a man on his back in the alleyway,” he added.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Mike said the injured woman was behind a grey Mini Cooper on the sidewalk bleeding badly.

By mid-afternoon, Toronto Fire Services showed up to perform a “wash down” to get rid of the pools of blood.

Joe Koole, who has lived in the townhouses since they were built in 2002, said he too was awakened by something that sounded like “a motorcycle really revving it up and then backing off.”

He said his wife heard the shots, but he only heard the aftermath.

Police remained in the area for most the day and are hoping that neighbours might come forward with home CCTV videos to assist investigators.

jboland@postmedia.com