A 14-year-old boy ran up behind a student at an east-end Toronto school and fatally shot him at point-blank range, police said Tuesday, describing the incident as “an execution.”
The teen then “attempted to do the same” to another student, but the gun didn’t go off, homicide Inspector Hank Idsinga said in a news conference. He added it’s not yet clear why the gun didn’t fire that time.
“When I was first updated on the murder information yesterday, it was described to me as an execution. I’ve seen the video which captures the murder, and that’s exactly how I would describe it,” Insp. Idsinga said.
The 14-year-old then ran off but was arrested hours later as he was heading to turn himself in, the inspector said. The teen faces one count of first-degree murder and another of attempted murder.
Police identified the victim as Jahiem Robinson, 18.
Investigators previously said the shooting was targeted, but Insp. Idsinga declined to comment on a possible motive Tuesday, saying the investigation is still in its early stages.
But he said the accused and Mr. Robinson interacted with each other before the shooting.
“There was some interaction with them earlier, prior to the shooting, but not immediately before the shooting,” he said.
Outside a community centre where counselling was being offered to staff and students, Toronto Mayor John Tory said the age of the accused shooter struck him.
“I have a 14-year-old grandson and the whole notion that anybody of that age can have a gun, put it in their pocket and take it to school and use it, to me is inconceivable,” he said.
Mr. Tory also said there must be a better way to deal with the prevalence of guns on Toronto’s streets.
“I’m hearing about this from police at every police board meeting, about how there are guns, most of which are coming from the United States,” Mr. Tory said, reiterating that he is in favour of a national handgun ban.
“I think there has to be a way in which we can do better at stopping those guns from coming in here.”
Police said they responded to calls for a shooting at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Toronto’s east end shortly after 3 p.m. Monday.
Tactical officers swept through the school, but did not find the boy or a gun at the time, Inspector Richard Harris said Monday. Police said in a statement Tuesday that they arrested the boy just before 7 p.m.
The accused cannot be named due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Toronto District School Board said it has launched its own investigation into the incident.
“An incident like this raises questions about how something like this can happen inside a school,” Colleen Russell-Rawlins, director of education at the board, said in a written statement Monday.
She said the board will help the homicide squad’s investigation as well as conduct their own probe. There are 16 cameras inside the school that could help the investigations, the board said.
Inside the school, emotions ran high, board spokeswoman Shari Schwartz-Maltz said.
“There’s a lot of tears inside,” she said outside the school Monday. “There’s a lot of upset teachers – it’s hard to believe.”
Ms. Schwartz-Maltz said they have social workers and counsellors available to help.
“Whatever the kids need, whatever the staff need, they will get,” she said.
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