Plaza shooting a setback for police
Fourth gun homicide after period of calm Many incidents involve gangs, officer says
A28- year- old man shot dead at a North York plaza is Toronto’s latest firearm casualty, a setback for residents and police who felt they had been making progress in reducing gun violence in the northwest corner of the city.
Tuesday night’s killing of Sureshkumar Kanagaratnam at the Yorkwoods Shopping Plaza, on Jane St., south of Finch Ave. W., was the fourth fatal shooting in the area in two weeks. On Saturday, Andre Burnett, 24, died in a flurry of gunshots while running across a footbridge over Driftwood Ave., near Jane St.
Last Thursday, a couple of kilometres away, Rommel Eduardo Molina, 21, was shot in Upwood Park off Blackstone St., near Jane St. and Lawrence Ave. That followed the Aug. 30 slaying of 18- yearold Justin Huxtable who was gunned down outside a townhouse complex near Jane St. and Sheppard Ave. W. Arrests have been made in those cases. The carnage of the past 14 days followed a period of relative stability after Police Chief Bill Blair redeployed officers in the area. He was responding to a series of incidents, including the Aug. 3 wounding of a 4- year- old boy and three others near 30 Driftwood Ave.
Stephnie Payne, executive director of the San Romanoway Revitalization Association and a school board trustee, said yesterday she was “ depressed” by the recent violence.
“ I feel like I’ve made six steps forward and a hundred backwards,” she said. However, she noted that the high- rises along San Romanoway, at Jane and Finch, have been spared and believes the neighbourhood’s youth programs have a constructive impact locally. She hopes the recent violence doesn’t overshadow the optimism of a report released last spring, which found an overall decrease of 22.8 per cent in violent crimes from 2002 to 2004 in the Jane- Finch area. And she noted there have been shootings this summer all over the city.
“ A lot of it is the jealousy and gangs,” she said. “ A lot of the black males are very angry and nobody is getting to the core of why these black males are angry.” Payne said more “ proactive” planning is needed to target gang violence and protect those who come forward “ because they’ll be killed.” She said gang members must be offered counselling, training and other “ positive alternatives” to gang life. Meanwhile, Toronto police union president Dave Wilson reiterated his call that more officers be hired immediately to address gun violence.
Although more uniformed officers have been assigned to high- crime areas, that leaves other areas understaffed.
Trained officers from other forces could be hired and be on the streets within three weeks, he said.
Police say they are uncertain why the streets have heated up again, except that many of the incidents involve street gang activity — perhaps relating to gang members trying to “ up their status,” said Insp. Tom McIlhone.
“ As much as we have had this stuff, the one real good positive is that the community appears to be coming forward and is intolerant of this behaviour,” he said, pointing to the arrests in two of the four homicides. A15- year- old boy wanted for shooting Huxtable surrendered to police just before 2 a.m. yesterday. He has been charged with second- degree murder. The investigation is continuing, said Det. Sgt. Chris Buck, adding police want to speak to more witnesses. “ There were two other people present at the shooting. I want to locate them and speak to them about what happened.” Witnesses have told police the teen was upset about his sister dating Huxtable.