Teen second in Toronto history to be slain in school

Update: Toronto Police annouced Wednesday morning that a 17-year-old has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Hamid Aminzada

TORONTO -- In the seven years since 15-year-old Jordan Manners was gunned down at C.W. Jefferys C.I. in North York, there have been numerous close calls involving knives and guns at city schools.

So it was only a matter of time until tragedy struck again, as it did over the noon-hour Tuesday at North Albion C.I. with the brutal killing of Hamid Aminzada.

The 19-year-old, whose family immigrated recently from Afghanistan, was stabbed multiple times in a hallway at the school on Kipling Ave., just north of Finch Ave. W., and died later in hospital. He was the second student in Toronto’s history to be slain in a school.

“We’re obviously very heartbroken ... because he was a very nice young man,” said Naeem Siddiq, the high school’s principal. “It’s a tragic loss for us.”

Toronto Police say officers responded to the stabbing around 12:40 p.m. and found Aminzada bleeding from the stomach and face.

While the teen showed no vital signs, Const. Victor Kwong said firefighters revived him and he was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

But a couple of hours later, Supt. Ron Taverner broke “the very sad news” Aminzada had died.

“It’s very disturbing,” he said.

Taverner said Aminzada’s parents were notified and raced to be at their son’s side.

The teen’s mom initially went to 23 Division, where Taverner said she “collapsed” upon hearing the news and was treated by paramedics.

As doctors tried unsuccessfully to save the teen, the school was locked down and officers went room to room searching for the killer.

Officers also scoured the surrounding area, looking for a suspect described as a black male, about 17, and of medium height and build.

Upset parents arrived at the school during the lockdown, anxious to see their kids.

“Oh my God, it was devastating,” said Shelly Verge, whose 14-year-old daughter attends the school.

“I started freaking out at work and everybody was trying to calm me down,” she said, still shaking as she waited for her daughter to be released from school. “She must be terrified.”

She reached her daughter on a cellphone and found out she was fine.

An hour after the stabbing, students — many visibly shaken — began trickling out of the school one class at a time as their rooms were cleared by police.

“It was frightening,” Sameer Ali, 14, said, admitting he’ll be nervous to return to school.

Donna Quan, director of education for the Toronto District School Board, visited the school in the aftermath and said her thoughts are with the victim’s family and the school’s students and staff.

TDSB spokesman Sherri Schwartz Waltz said the school has two safety resource officers — who weren’t present Tuesday — two safety monitors and 39 security cameras.

Taverner said the city’s 38th murder of the year was not captured on video.
Please share this

Toronto Police to test body-mounted cameras

TORONTO - Some Toronto Police officers will be donning body-mounted cameras as part of a pilot project beginning as early as November.

Canada’s largest municipal police organization is in the process of choosing a supplier. Once a vendor is chosen, the service plans on purchasing 100 cameras for use in four locations across Toronto for a year-long period.

The use of body-worn cameras usually results in fewer complaints about officers and “less violence,” Deputy Chief Peter Sloly said Monday.

“The general research is the body-worn camera modifies the behaviour of the police officer and the member of the public — it’s a two-way street,” he said. “It is protecting their cops against malicious investigations, it modifies the behaviour of the person they’re dealing with, it provides best evidence in cases.”

The TAVIS rapid response team, a yet-to-be-identified area of traffic services, 43 Division’s community response unit, and 55 Division’s primary response unit will all be a part of the pilot project.

Body-worn cameras were recommended in a February review by Chief Bill Blair as well as in a July report by retired Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci. Similar cameras have been tested in Calgary, Edmonton, and Victoria, B.C.

Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack cautioned body cameras are not a “magic pill” to cure policing. Other changes could have a broader impact, he said.

“We’ve been advocating for years for officers on the front line to have access to Tasers, for instance,” McCormack said.

“We want to ensure that any type of pilot project, the cost-benefit analysis is looked at, and that there is strong policy and procedure around the use of lapel cameras and what the intended use is going to be,” he added.

The Special Investigations Unit — a provincial watchdog that probes death or serious injuries in incidents involving cops — noted that “video recordings from body-worn cameras will on occasion doubtless prove a valuable source of information to the SIU as it would with any investigative agency.”
Please share this

Toronto's summer of 2014 ending in bloodshed

TORONTO - A summer that began as one of the most peaceful in recent history for Toronto has quickly become one of the deadliest thanks to a recent spate of killings.

In a 14-day span, between Sept. 4 and 17, eight people have been murdered in the city, Toronto Police have said.

“There’s no real rhyme or reason for it,” Toronto Police Staff-Insp. Greg McLane, who heads up the homicide unit, told the Toronto Sun recently. “There are no trends or any connections between those homicides that we know of right now.

“The motivations are different, the methods of death are different,” he said, explaining four of the eight recent murder victims were shot, two were stabbed and two were beaten.

And McLane pointed out that the summer of 2014 actually began with an extended “lull.”

The season, which began June 21 and wraps up Tuesday, was more than two weeks old when Rala Federick, 36, was gunned down July 6 on George St., northeast of Jarvis and Dundas Sts., becoming the first murder victim of the summer and the 22nd of the year.

A 37-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting.

By the midway point, Aug. 7, only two others had been killed. But then the violence, like the weather, heated up.

The latter half of the summer has so far seen another 12 people slain — four times more than the first half — bringing the total to 15 over the entire 95 days.

Of those 15 murder victims, eight were shot, three were stabbed and four were beaten to death. Nine of those homicides remain unsolved and two others have suspects who remain on the loose.

There has also been a steady stream of people wounded in shootings and stabbings this summer, many of whom could easily have been added to the list of murder victims if not for the life-saving skills of Toronto’s paramedics, doctors and nurses.

As recently as Friday, just before midnight, a man was stabbed in the stomach near Markham and Ellesmere Rds. in Scarborough.

The seriously injured man remains in hospital but he is in stable condition, police said.

The recent rise in the frequency of killings may be alarming but McLane pointed out that such “spikes,” like the “lulls,” occur occasionally.

And much of the recent violence hasn’t involved gangs, he said.

“Usually when we see firearm offences we think of street gang activity,” McLane said. “There has been some of that, for sure, but it seems that the street gang violence has tailed off a bit.”

While the recent rash of murders has kept his detectives busy, McLane said it’s nothing they can’t handle.

And he’s “confidant” his investigators will be able to bring the homicides that remain unsolved to a successful conclusion.

“Our clearance rate (the number of solved murders) is up over the last three years,” McLane said. “And we’re just shy of 80% clearance for 2013.”

It’s worth noting that while clearance rates may seem low initially, the numbers typically improve dramatically by the following year as cops track down the killers.

“Obviously the recent rash of murders is not something we want to see in the city because it impacts on people’s perception of safety in their communities,” McLane said. “But I want to assure the public that we’re in good shape on these investigations and we continue to solve murders on a daily basis.”

The homicide boss is optimistic the violent end to an otherwise relatively peaceful summer is just “a blip” and not a sign of things to come.

“I’m satisfied Toronto is still a safe place to be,” McLane said.

*******

The summer of 2014, which wraps up Tuesday, began quietly enough with only three murders in the city by the midway point, Aug. 7. But the violence heated up during the later half of the season as another 12 people were slain and a 13th victim was deemed a murder nine months after dying.

    JULY 6: Rala Federick, 36, was gunned down on George St., near of Jarvis and Dundas Sts., becoming the first murder victim of the summer and the 22nd of the year. A man, 37, was also wounded in the shooting. No arrests.
    JULY 8: Abshir Hassan, 31, a well liked supply teacher, was shot dead outside his building on Flemingdon Rd. in Lawrence Heights while a man, 22, and a woman, 18, were wounded. No arrests.
    JULY 15: Duane Small, 44, was beaten to death in a bus shelter at Victoria Park Ave. and Clydesdale Dr., north of Sheppard Ave. E. Raymond McCurdy, 39, faces manslaughter.
    AUG. 9: Mohamed Yay, 40, a father of five, was stabbed to death in a playground at a housing complex on The West Mall in south Etobicoke. No arrests.
    AUG. 19: Olatoyebi Waheed, 24, was killed and a man, 23, wounded by gunfire while in a vehicle stopped at a red light near Jane St. and Eglinton Ave. W. Franklin Afrifa, 25, faces first-degree murder and attempted murder. Benard Kissi, 24, is still sought for the drive-by shooting.
    AUG. 26: Jelena Loncar, 31, was killed outside a nightclub in the Entertainment District, near Wellington and Portland Sts. The shooter also wounded a man, 25, believed to be the intended target. No arrests.
    AUG. 30: Jorge Interiano, 40, was beaten to death at Concord Ave. and Bloor St. W., west of Ossington Ave. No arrests.
    SEPT. 4: Investigators deem two-and-a-half-year-old Jazara Garrison-Downey’s death a murder and arrest a woman, 18, who was baby-sitting the tot when she stopped breathing Jan. 3 at a home near Wellesley and Bleecker Sts. The accused, who can’t be named because she was 17 at the time, faces second-degree murder.
    SEPT. 5: Alexandre Joseph Lavallee, 53, was badly beaten in a Cabbagetown parkette, near Wellesley and Parliament Sts., and died the next day. Paul Douglas Richard, 56, faces second-degree murder.
    SEPT. 8: Dwayne Goodwin, 22, was fatally stabbed and a second man wounded when two groups clashed on Danforth Ave. east of Dawes Rd. Vaughan Shears, 19, and a boy, 16, who can’t be identified, face second-degree murder and attempted murder. Mehmet Akkurt, 22, is sought on a Canada-wide warrant.
    SEPT. 8: Joseph Okoro, 21, was gunned down in a parking lot behind a business near Jane St. and Lawrence Ave. W. No arrests.
    SEPT. 11: Travis Tash, 22, was gunned down behind an apartment building on Upper Canada Dr., near Bayview Ave. and Hwy. 401. No arrests.
    SEPT. 11: Richard Pepper, 60, was beaten to death in a fight in the west end, near Mabelle Ave. and Dundas St. W. Jamal Hassan, 22, and Gonffa Krow, 20, each face second-degree murder and assault causing bodily harm.
    SEPT. 14: Abdul Monir, 31, a recent immigrant from Afghanistan, was gunned down while working at Pizza Time on Markham Rd., south of Lawrence Ave. E. The pizza shop owner was wounded in the shooting. No arrests.
    SEPT. 14: San Tai Yuan, 56, was stabbed to death allegedly in an altercation with a fellow resident at a house on Axsmith Cr., near Don Mills rd. and Finch Ave. E. Zhebin Cong, 43, faces second-degree murder.
    SEPT. 17: Jules Jashawn Morrison, 21, was shot to death in the stairwell of a North York apartment building on Fountainhead Rd., near Finch Ave. W. and Keele St. No arrests.
Please share this

Police probing Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti fundraiser

TORONTO - The City of Toronto has asked Toronto Police to investigate Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti’s controversial 2013 fundraiser.

Council ruled in July that Mammoliti breached the code of conduct by pocketing $80,000 from a fundraising dinner.

At the time, councillors voted to suspend his pay for three months — the equivalent of $26,000. Mammoliti — who is running for re-election — is currently fighting that decision in court and the integrity commissioner’s original decision to investigate the fundraiser.

In that July vote, councillors also approved a push by Councillor Joe Mihevc to hire a criminal lawyer to review Integrity Commissioner Janet Leiper’s report on Mammoliti and “determine if there are grounds” to send the matter to Toronto Police for further investigation.

City spokesman Jackie DeSouza confirmed Monday that the outside counsel was retained.

“The matter was referred to police to exercise their discretion on whether to investigate or not,” DeSouza said.

Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash confirmed the issue was referred to the service by the city.

“It will be with the financial crimes unit,” Pugash said.

He said the city referred the issue to Toronto Police within the last day or so.

In an interview on Monday, Mammoliti said the decision to refer the issue to police didn’t come as a surprise to him.

“I’m not surprised that a month and a half before the election I’m having to answer these questions,” he said.

Mammoliti stressed he challenged the integrity commissioner’s report before it came to council.

“There are a lot of questions that need to be answered,” he said.

In a statement issued late Monday, Mammoliti called the news "hypothetical and theatrical."

"City Staff won’t cut grass, trim trees, or clean the streets but somehow they have the time to keep the circus going at City Hall," he stated. "The event referred to was organized by my family and close friends while I was in recovery.

"To imply that myself or any one of my family members or friends was involved in criminal activity is offensive and crosses the line."
Please share this

Man dead after North York stabbing at 1 Axsmith Cres

TORONTO - A man is dead and another is in police custody after a stabbing at a North York home Sunday night.

Officers were called to 1 Axsmith Cres., near Don Mills Rd. and Van Horne Ave., around 8:45 p.m. about a person with a knife, Toronto Police Const. Jennifer Sidhu said Monday.

A 56-year-old man was declared dead at the scene.

“He had suffered obvious blunt trauma injuries to the head,” Sidhu said.

Two others were taken to hospital with injuries, including the woman who placed the 911 call and the 43-year-old man arrested in the case.

All three were tenants living in the basement of the two-storey house, Sidhu said.

There was no word on whether charges have been laid.
Please share this

Thousands in Toronto turn out for Terry Fox run

Terry Fox runs attracted thousands of Canadians who ran, walked or biked in remembrance of the young man behind the Marathon of Hope to end cancer.

Cyclist Reg Devonshire, 84, and six of his friends from a North York gym, took part in the Terry Fox Run at Cedarbrook Park, in the Markham Rd.-Lawrence Ave. area — one of 750 such events held across Canada.

The former police officer said he has been biking in Terry Fox runs since 2007.

“About eight or 10 years ago, four of us decided to do this and it just grew,” Devonshire said.

“We now have over 100 people who are contributing, and we’ve raised over $8,000 today.”

Last year, he and his enthusiastic friends raised over $7,000 at the Scarborough run site. They initially began doing it for a friend who is a cancer survivor.

“He’s still alive and he’s still working and running and doing Terry Fox,” Devonshire said. “We do it because of him.”

Martha McClew, Ontario director of the Terry Fox Foundation, reported a “slight increase” in the number of runners this year.

“Participation numbers are up, which is always a great find for us,” she said.

Last year, 75,000 participants in Ontario raised $12.5 million. As of May of this year, the foundation raised over $650 million for cancer research.

“It’s really, I think, become a great Canadian tradition,” McClew said.

Sunday marked the 34th year since Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope across the country to raise awareness and funds for research into the disease that eventually killed him before his 23rd birthday.

His father, Rolly Fox, took part in three runs in the GTA, marking his first time he took part in one outside of British Columbia.
Please share this

Mike Tyson berates Toronto TV host Nathan Downer

TORONTO - You mess with Mike Tyson at your peril — especially on live TV.

Call him what you like, call him a cab, call him late for dinner, but DON’T call him a convicted rapist.

For a second, by the glint in the ex-heavyweight champ’s eye, I feared for CP24 anchor Nathan Downer’s life.

Tyson was in studio at 2 p.m. Wednesday to talk about his visit to City Hall the day before, when he threw his considerable bulk behind beleaguered Mayor Rob Ford. “Best mayor in Toronto’s history,” Iron Mike opined.

“We’re cut from the same cloth,” said Ford to the media mob outside his office.

The CP24 studio Wednesday was much calmer, even soothing, until Downer asked Tyson:

“Some of your critics would say, this is a race for mayor, we know you’re a convicted rapist, this could hurt his campaign.” (Tyson did three years for rape in the 1990s.)




Tyson’s jaw clenched. His tattoo jiggled. His eyes hardened. I swear his biceps tensed.

“You’re being negative,” he said. OK, so far so good. Downer exhaled. The conversation, including promoter Alex Choko, switched to the topic of George Chuvalo.

Then Tyson boiled over.

“So interesting that you come across like a nice guy,” he purred menacingly to Downer.

“But you’re really a piece of s---.”

“C’mon,” Downer said.

“That was a piece of... F--- you. That was a piece of s---.”

“You know we’re on? We’re doing live TV.”

“I don’t care. What are you going to do about it?”

Downer tried to turn talk to Tyson’s one-man show, Undisputed Truth, at the ACC.

“Is it nerve wracking for you to do something like this (the show) or is it more nervous for you to box. How does it compare?”

“I dunno,” said Tyson. “It’s more nerve wracking for me here talking to a rat piece of s--- like you.”

“Oh, c’mon, Mike.”

“No, because you’re a piece of s---. You really shouldn’t have..... A piece of s----.”

“Alright, we’re going, we’re going to wrap up this interview. Thank you for coming in.”

“Well, f--- you!”

And people say political discourse in Toronto has gone to the dogs.

    I'm okay everybody. Unfortuantlely my question hurt Mike Tyson's feelings. That was not my intentions. My apolgies for the language.
Please share this

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in hospital with tumour

TORONTO - Mayor Rob Ford remains in hospital as doctors investigate an abdominal tumour discovered Wednesday.

The health scare comes in the midst of Ford’s battle to win the Oct. 27 election and just months after he returned to the city from a stint in rehab for alcohol and drugs.

It also comes eight years after the mayor’s father, Doug Ford Sr., died of colon cancer.

A weary-looking Doug Ford — the mayor’s brother — spoke to reporters about the mayor’s health at a hastily-called news conference at Humber River Hospital on Wednesday night.

“It saddens me that I have to be here,” said Doug Ford, the mayor’s campaign manager. “Rob’s in good spirits and we just want to thank the well-wishers and all the calls that are coming in.”

Ford had breakfast with his brother on Wednesday morning at Perkins restaurant in Etobicoke.

“He had stomach pain,” Ford said. “He said his stomach was bothering him.”

The mayor saw a doctor who sent him to the hospital, he said.

According to the hospital, doctors found the tumour and the mayor was admitted “for further investigation and to obtain a definitive diagnosis.”

Doug Ford wouldn’t discuss the election on Wednesday night.

“We’ll speak about that (Thursday),” he said. “Could I just ask the press just to give our family a day or so?

“If you could just leave us alone that would be great for the next couple of days then we’ll inform you about what’s going on,” he added later.

Humber River broke the news of Ford’s hospitalization after 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Dr. Rueben Devlin, the hospital’s CEO, confirmed the tumour is in the mayor’s abdomen and is being investigated further. It isn’t clear if the tumour is benign or malignant.

“We need to determine exactly what type of tumour it is and then we can decide on what treatment is required,” Devlin said. “We hope to do a lot of that investigation this week.”

Devlin added it wasn’t a “small” tumour.

“But the size is not as relevant as what it is,” he said. “What we really need is a biopsy to be able to look at exactly what tumour it is and also to investigate if the tumour is anywhere else.”

The mayor was having “left, lower quadrant abdominal pain,” Devlin said.

“It has been going on for greater than three months but (Wednesday) it became unbearable for him,” he said.

In August 2012, Ford was treated at the same hospital for throat and stomach problems.

Ford was also in hospital in February 2011 for a procedure to break a kidney stone.

As a councillor, he was admitted to hospital in July 2009 for “excruciating pain” and consequently underwent emergency surgery to remove a tumour on his appendix.

Rob Ford was at Tuesday night’s mayoral debate but wasn’t seen at City Hall at all on Wednesday.

During the debate, Ford appeared in good spirits and promised the crowd he’d not only win this election but go on to win another two additional terms in the mayor’s chair.
Please share this

Part of Hwy. 410 being widened to 10 lanes

Brampton commuters can expect construction along their usual route as the province announced plans to widen part of Hwy. 410 from six to 10 lanes.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca outlined a multimillion-dollar plan on Tuesday to improve Hwy. 410.

“It will create or sustain approximately 1,567 jobs, and it’s expected to be completed by the end of 2018,” he said.

The plan involves widening a 12-kilometre portion of Hwy. 410 — stretching from just south of Hwy. 401 to Queen St. — from its current six lanes to 10 lanes.

One high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction will be added.

The Hwy. 401-403-410 interchange will see two new ramps constructed as well. The contract — worth $156.7 million — was awarded to Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd.

“This important project will help traffic flow and help keep people and goods moving safely and efficiently on our highways,” Del Duca said.

He said the ministry has observed more people using HOV lanes and saving time, “particularly during peak rush hour.”

He warned that a “major” construction project of this nature will have “some impact” on traffic.
Please share this

21 year old man shot dead in North York

TORONTO - A 21-year-old man is dead after a shooting in the Jane St.-Lawrence Ave. W. area on Monday night.

When manicurist Do Aoa, who works at a Magic Nails in the area, heard shots outside her North York business that night, she took note, but went back to watching TV shows.

The 58-year-old recalled Tuesday she was between customers when she heard “four or five” loud pops just after 6 p.m.

Police responded and cordoned off a small gravel parking lot behind Aoa’s shop.

Toronto Police found a 21-year-old victim. He died in hospital a short time later, marking Toronto’s 32nd homicide of the year.

“I heard the shots — four or five times — but I didn’t think it was out back, I thought it was down the street ... I was watching (my) iPad,” said Aoa.

The location where the brazen daytime murder occurred falls inside the border of one of Toronto’s city-designated priority investment neighbourhoods, the hardscrabble Weston-Mount Dennis area. Rustic, an area being considered as a newly designated priority area sits directly to the northeast.

Suresh Patel, who works behind the counter of Vinayaka Convenience, which is located merely steps from where Monday’s shooting took place, said he heard four shots. He didn’t, however, venture outside his small store to investigate. Instead, he just kept working.

According to Toronto Police spokesman Jennifer Sidhu, “several men were seen running from the scene” immediately after Monday’s shooting. She said it is a possibility these people could be a mix of both suspects and people running in fear.
Please share this