Man 'with cache of guns' arrested in 'unprovoked' killings of man and international student, police say
CBC
Toronto police have arrested a man accused in two separate "unprovoked" killings of a 21-year-old international student and 35-year-old man.
Richard Jonathan Edwin, 39, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kartik Vasudev and Elijah Eleazar Mahepath.
Police say Edwin was arrested Sunday evening and had a cache of loaded guns within reach at the time of his arrest.
"Any death is tragic, but these men were completely innocent, and their murders were absolutely random acts of violence," Police Chief James Ramer told reporters Tuesday.
Vasudev, a 21-year-old international student from India, was gunned down at Sherbourne subway station on April 7 around 5 p.m. He was transported to hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, where he later died.
Two days later, Mahepath was shot several times near the intersection of Dundas Street East and George Street, east of Jarvis Street, just before 7 p.m. He also died in hospital hours later.
Police believe Edwin was a "complete stranger" to both men. Ramer also said the victims were not known to each other.
Edwin had no prior criminal record and was "lawfully" in possession of his guns, police said.
And while there is no longer a threat to public safety, Ramer said he believes there could have been more killings had the suspect not been caught.
"When, I don't know, but he had an arsenal at home," Ramer said. "Frankly, I believe this might have just been a first step."
Vasudev and Mahepath were the city's 19th and 20th homicides of the year.
Based on the "nature of the offences," Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said police were able to connect the two homicides to one another "very quickly."
Ramer says an "all-out effort" was launched to track the suspect, with the help of the Toronto police's Emergency Task Force. Edwin was found and arrested in a residence near Bloor Street West and Spadina Avenue on Sunday evening.
Ramer said he hopes the arrest will provide a "sliver of closure" for the families of the victims.
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