Boy, 15, shot dead in Regent Park

A15-year-old boy was shot dead in downtown Toronto late Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency services responded to a shooting in Regent Park, at 230 Sackville St., around 4:15 p.m., Toronto police said.

A witness, who preferred not to give her name, said she saw some youths fighting just before the shooting took place.

“One of the kids ran out of (the fight), into the building and went up to the eighth floor,” she said. “At least one of the others chased behind him and shot him just as he reached the apartment.”

She said the victim turned 15 yesterday. Police confirmed his age.

“I didn’t know him but whatever the story is behind this, it’s just tragic,” the witness said. Other neighbours heard at least three shots fired, she added.

The address is a Toronto Community Housing building. Police did not confirm whether the shooting took place inside or outside the building.

Toronto Community Housing is “helping with the investigation, but all information at this stage is being released by Toronto Police Services,” spokesperson Daniele Gauvin said.

Paramedics pronounced the boy dead at the scene. No information about potential suspects has been released by police. They said they were not releasing the victim’s name until they had notified his family.

The shooting was Toronto’s 81st homicide of the year.