Suspect in playground shooting arrested
Toronto police have arrested a second man in the Scarborough playground shooting in June that injured two young girls — a hard-fought apprehension that comes after police spent weeks tracking the suspect’s movements across Ontario. Tarrick Rhoden, 23, of Toronto was arrested late Wednesday by the Minden detachment of the OPP in the Algonquin Highlands, south of Algonquin Park, at a residence near a small airport. Rhoden faces 17 charges — including attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault — and made a brief appearance at Old City Hall court Thursday. Clad in a scruffy white T-shirt, black pants and blue-white sneakers — with a grown beard and curly uncombed hair — he looked calm and kept his head down. Rhoden will next appear via video in Scarborough court Tuesday. Police allege Rhoden is involved in a June 14 shooting in a playground near McCowan Rd. and Alton Towers Circle. Eleven small children were playing at the time, and two girls, sisters aged 5 and 9, were hit by the gunfire. The younger sister was shot in the abdomen, and the older sibling was shot in the ankle. Both girls underwent surgery at SickKids hospital and are recovering at home.
One day after the shooting, Toronto police arrested Sheldon Eriya, 21, of Markham, charging him with two counts of attempted murder, among other offences. A Canada-wide arrest warrant was then issued for two other men: Rhoden and T’Quan Robertson, 23, of Toronto.
Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Jim Gotell said in an interview Thursday that it’s been a “long summer” with between six and 12 officers working to locate Rhoden and Robertson. The entire team involved has been working tirelessly, he said.
“The guys here really, I would say, took this personally because of the age of the victims involved. Everybody felt really bad for them,” said Gotell, who heads investigations in the northeast 42 division and oversaw the search alongside Det.Const. Michael Lane.
Gotell said officers have been tracking Rhoden all summer and, on a few occasions, came close to arresting him. Over the summer, they believe he’d been up near Algonquin, back in downtown Toronto and in Oakville.
“We were so close on several occasions, but unfortunately we just missed him, and everybody was really disappointed,” Gotell said.
Throughout the summer, officers had been receiving information from the Minden detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police.
On Wednesday, they had sufficient cause to believe he was at a home on Stanhope Airport Rd., in the Algonquin Highlands.
They obtained the necessary warrant late Wednesday and arrested him alongside an OPP tactical team and officers from the Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement squad.
“He was inside the house, he ran out — right into their waiting arms more or less — through the back door,” Gotell said, adding the home has since been sealed and was to be searched Thursday.
Police announced Thursday that they also arrested Vern McPhail, 59, of Brampton, with accessory after the fact to commit an indictable offence. Police are alleging he lived the Algonquin residence and helped harbour Rhoden.
The officers are proud and relieved to have made the arrest, but Gotell said the focus remains on finding Robertson.
“Once we get the last guy I think we’ll be really happy,” he said.
He stresses that anyone who may be helping Robertson will be arrested and charged, as happened with McPhail.
The offence of accessory after the fact to commit an indictable offence is punishable by up to 14 years in jail.