Woman accused of firing gun in road rage incident

A 21-year-old Toronto woman faces 10 charges after allegedly firing a shotgun at a pedestrian in Moss Park during a road rage incident that left two people hurt.

A verbal altercation broke out between a driver and a pedestrian in the Shuter and George Sts. area around 1 a.m. Friday, police said in a news release.

Police allege the driver then got out of her car, removed a shotgun from her trunk and fired it at the pedestrian.

Police said the driver then put the shotgun back in her trunk and fled the scene.

Both the female pedestrian, 21, and a nearby male cyclist, 69, were shot and suffered nonlife-threatening injuries, police said.

The driver and victims did not know each other, said Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson. He said the verbal argument was “very, very minor” and called the attack “unprovoked.”

The shotgun was loaded with birdshot, Hopkinson said, which is a type of ammunition that contains tiny metal pellets in each shell.

Once the shell is fired, the pellets separate and spread outwards.

“People think this is a case of road rage, but this is not only road rage,” Hopkinson said. “It’s horrific.”

After police conducted an investigation, an arrest was made the next day.

Cassandra Beckett-Benjamin, 21, is charged with attempted murder, pointing a firearm, assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, discharging a firearm with intent to wound/ endanger life, possession of an unauthorized firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.