Toronto dresses up as Mogadishu for Halloween

[Tomasz Winnicki v2.0]

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_4905.aspx

Five Shot, Man Plunges To Death In Violent Halloween Night
Wednesday November 1, 2006


It was a scary Halloween night on GTA streets, and not because of the pint-sized ghouls and goblins running around in search of candy.

Police were kept busy with a multiple shooting, a suspicious death, and gunfire targeting parked cars.

One of the most serious incidents occurred as some children were still out trick-or-treating. Five people in Ajax were shot outside a house on McSweeney Cres. near Westney and Rossland Rds. at about 8:30pm.

None of their injuries appeared to be life threatening, and while Durham Regional Police officers weren't offering many details about the alarming case they said it didn't appear to be gang-related.

Investigators do believe a confrontation started between two groups and as it boiled over shots were fired from at least two guns. Those struck, four adults and a youth, were treated at hospital and released.

"Our understanding is that before the shots erupted there were at least 30 persons in a group hanging out in the foot path in that area," said Sgt. Paul McCurbin of Durham Regional Police. "We're looking for those people to come forward and provide us with the information we need to find the persons responsible for the shooting."

One of the bullets ended up piercing the wall at the home of a young family.

Mike and Danielle, who didn't want their last name revealed, had just brought their three and one-year-old children home from trick-or-treating when a 9-millimetre bullet flew into their living room.

"I wouldn't have guessed it to be a bullet. It seemed like something bigger and wider, like I really thought it was a pumpkin. It was more like a thud," explains the rattled mom.

The incident had those living in the area wondering what happened to their quiet neighbourhood.

"I was just reading on the internet today saying now there's 11 gangs around here and all that sort of stuff. It's like, I thought this was a nice, quiet little neighbourhood, and yeah, it makes you rethink," said one resident.

Durham police are asking anyone who saw anything in the area between 8pm and 9:30pm to contact them.

There's no word on arrests.

About an hour beforehand, Toronto homicide detectives were called in to investigate after a man fell to his death from a high-rise near Pape and Danforth Aves. The victim, believed to be in his 40s, was found on the ground outside the building at about 7:15pm. Witnesses said they saw several people running from the scene.

The homicide squad is monitoring the case, though they haven't yet confirmed whether they believe the man was murdered.

And then, early Tuesday, a line of parked cars in the east end was targeted by a volley of gunfire.

Toronto Police found three damaged vehicles and several shell casings on Town Centre Court near the Scarborough Town Centre. Witnesses reportedly saw a vehicle driving away within seconds of the shots being fired, at about 2am.

No one was hurt.

Anyone with information about the Ajax incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau at (905) 579-1520 at ext.2544 or Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Anyone with information in the other cases can contact Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).