MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — A teenage boy is dead and five other people are in hospital after gunfire erupted Saturday evening in a residential area of Mississauga, Ont., just west of Toronto.
Peel Regional Police Chief Chris McCord said that according to eyewitness accounts multiple suspects unleashed a barrage of gunfire from semi-automatic weapons near a parkette behind an apartment building at around 6:20 p.m.
He said a 17-year-old old boy died at the scene and that five others — a 13-year-old, a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds and a woman in her 50s — were wounded. McCord said one of the wounded was in serious condition and that the other four suffered non life-threatening injuries.
The chief also noted that “a lot” of shell casings were found scattered over a wide area and that several vehicles had been hit by the gunfire, though police had yet to determine whether any of those vehicles belonged to the shooters.
Speaking at a news conference late Saturday night, McCord said it was very early in the investigation and that many questions about the incident remained unanswered, including the motive, whether the victims were targeted and whether the shooting was gang related.
No suspect information was immediately released as officers continued to canvass the area for surveillance camera video that might help answer at least some of those questions.
Police were also asking anyone with information that could aid their investigation to contact them.
McCord said investigators were talking to a number of people who ran from the scene as shots rang out, but the chief was quick to add that there was nothing to indicate, at this stage of the investigation, that any were possible suspects.
“At present, with the police presence in the area tonight, there is no individual still in this area that should cause the residents cause for concern for their own personal safety,” he said.
A music video was being filmed near the scene of the shooting, however, McCord said he didn’t know if it was in any way linked to the case.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
