Social distancing fight may have precipitated shooting

TORONTO, Ont. — An argument over social distancing may have led to a fatal shooting in a Scarborough liquor store parking lot Sunday.

Toronto Police were called to the location around 5:30 p.m. for reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they found a 21-year-old man with an upper-body gunshot wound.

The victim was rushed to a trauma unit, but died.

He has been identified by police as Jakub Sudomericky.

A police source told Postmedia investigators are probing whether the incident was provoked by an argument over social distancing in the store. The fight then spilled out into the parking lot.

According to a news release Monday, Toronto Police say Sudomericky was at the store making a purchase. A 20-year-old man and a woman were also in the store and a verbal argument took place between the two men.

After he checked out, police said Sudomericky left the store, as did the other man and the woman.

Sudomericky was seen running through the parking lot and gunshots were heard, police said. He was then seen laying on the ground.

Michael Roberts, 20, of Toronto, has been charged with first-degree murder.

He was scheduled to appear in court Monday morning.

Multiple shell casings were found at the scene, and police told CP24 a knife was also involved in the incident.

Sudomericky is the city’s 60th homicide of 2020.

In a statement, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario said, “We offer our sympathies to the family of the deceased and are working with local law enforcement on this active investigation.”