If five overnight shootings and a homicide in Toronto made news on Friday, are five shootings and a homicide over the weekend still of interest to you?
Getting tired of hearing about gang killings?
Either way, it was one wild weekend of gunplay. It’s like a Toronto civil war. East, west, south or north, it doesn’t matter to the shooters.
There was a shooting at Kipling Ave. and Mount Olive Dr. in which “two people (were) shot” with one “pronounced deceased” and another “taken to hospital by emergency run with life-threatening injuries.”
Dead is Josephate Tyran Martelly, 24, the 55th homicide of 2020. The other victim is a 21-year-old who has serious injuries.
Other gun incidents include a drive-by shooting at Jane St. and Shoreham Dr. where Toronto Police say one person was “shot in the upper back” with the possible suspect vehicle described as a black four-door car.
At Steeles Ave. W. and Tangreen Crt., a “man was shot in leg” and police put out a suspect description of a “male black” in his 20s, “5-foot-9, skinny, red hoodie, blue jeans, hat, and a do-rag.” He was last seen on Steeles Ave., heading west towards Bathurst St.
At Flemington Rd. and Amaranth Crt., there was a “drive-by shooting” where “seven shots (were) fired at a parked vehicle.” At Jane St. and Sheppard Ave., police found “27 shell casings” in a shooting where “two victims” were taken to hospital but “four firearms were recovered” and “two men were arrested.”
This puts Toronto at 382 shooting incidents year to date compared to last year, which had 42 less at this time. The number of wounded in 2020 now stands at 182 people, close to the 181 victims recorded at this time in 2019.
Sorry politicians, but Toronto Police are too busy to defund.
Mayor John Tory tweeted Friday “the gun violence” is “completely unacceptable” but noted interim chief James Ramer and his officers have had “recent successes” in “making arrests and seizing firearms in connection with incidents of gun violence.” He vowed his continued “support for their continuing efforts in this regard as it is completely unacceptable to have innocent people terrified in their own neighbourhoods.”
Tory also tweeted they will “continue to invest in kids and families to address the roots of violence” and urged “the federal and provincial governments to join in those investments, to toughen gun and bail laws and crack down on cross-border gun trafficking.”
On Newstalk 1010 Sunday, Tory reiterated Toronto “remains one of the safest places in the world” and while it is “disconcerting the way the numbers are working” there is “no magic answer.”
No magic is needed. Start naming the gangs.
Clean up the city parks and end the drug trade there. Bring back a TAVIS-style gang strategy and utilize modern technology to resume carding and collect needed intelligence.
Introduce no bail for serious violence and make violent criminals serve full sentences without parole.
Pay terrorized community members handsomely to testify against thugs and have a real witness protection and relocation program to help avoid retaliation. Open the jail cells again. Build more.
Drop political correctness narratives when fighting crime and criminals. Upgrade the TCHC housing units and complexes, including making them gated communities where you must identify yourself to come in and out. Create a program to help residents purchase their units.
It’s not like authorities don’t know who the gangs are. It’s just the system has become handcuffed and paralyzed to shut them down. Much of the crime emanates from a few parts of town so perhaps consider a curfew for travel in and out of those areas?
While magic is not the answer, neither is a failure to respond.
Adding up shootings every morning certainly isn’t going to help.
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