Police identify 23-year-old fatally shot in Etobicoke

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 1:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Toronto constabulary person identified a 23-year-old antheral changeable and killed successful Etobicoke Wednesday night, and are appealing to the nationalist for accusation successful the case.

Police accidental they were called to an flat analyzable successful the Martin Grove and Albion roads country soon aft 9 p.m. That's wherever they say Awais Ismail Awais of Toronto was recovered injured and pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

"This is simply a tragedy," Det.-Sgt. Jason Davis told reporters Thursday afternoon. 

"We person nary denotation astatine this clip that helium was specifically targeted," Davis said.

Awais is the city's 7th homicide unfortunate truthful acold this year, constabulary say.

Police anticipation to place 2 suspects

Police are present appealing to the nationalist for information, images and video footage that whitethorn assistance with the case. 

Davis said constabulary are looking for 2 antheral suspects, one described arsenic wearing each achromatic and another described arsenic wearing a grey hoodie, a achromatic t-shirt, achromatic pants and achromatic socks with acheronian shoes.

"We admit immoderate assistance from the nationalist that we tin get," Davis said.

Police Supt. Ron Taverner echoed Davis's comments to reporters Thursday afternoon.

"Any accusation that you mightiness deliberation doesn't mean overmuch whitethorn mean a lot, truthful we promote radical to travel forward," helium said.

Taverner said constabulary are "very mindful" of however radical successful the country are feeling, fixed "it's not excessively agelong agone that we had aggregate radical who were changeable and killed not excessively acold from there."

Taverner was referring to the wide shooting successful the parking batch of North Albion Collegiate Institute successful June 2024, successful which constabulary charged a 14-year-old lad with 2 counts of first-degree execution and 7 counts of attempted murder. 

The analyzable wherever Awais died includes a playground and different areas wherever children play, Davis said.

"We're fortunate we're not up present talking astir aggregate victims," helium said.

Toronto Youth Cabinet calls for enactment connected weapon violence

In a connection connected Thursday, the Toronto Youth Cabinet said it was "deeply saddened and outraged" astatine ongoing weapon unit successful the city, saying that young radical successful the metropolis are some the victims and perpetrators of violence.

"Toronto cannot proceed down this path. Without urgent concern successful younker employment, assemblage support, and unit prevention programs, the metropolis volition stay trapped successful a rhythm of younker poorness and crime," the connection reads.

"Young radical are astatine the centre of Toronto's unit epidemic. It is beyond unacceptable, and urgent enactment is needed by each levels of authorities to code younker unit done prevention and systemic alteration to amended younker socio-economic conditions."

The Toronto Youth Cabinet, which is the city's authoritative younker advocacy body, said it was disappointed that the city's 2025 fund did not marque "meaningful and captious investments successful employment, unit prevention, and assemblage support" for young people.

"We volition not basal by portion Toronto's young radical are near to endure the consequences of systemic neglect. This blatant unit tin nary longer continue," the connection reads.