Police seek suspects in fatal shooting at North York plaza

Toronto police are seeking three suspects in a fatal North York shooting late last month, where gunfire was sprayed indiscriminately into a busy parking lot, police say.

Just after midnight on Aug. 27, at least three suspects arrived outside a plaza in the Sheppard Avenue W. and Weston Road area of North York in a Toyota Rav 4, Det. Sgt. Brandon Price from the Homicide and Missing Person Unit told reporters at a news conference Saturday.

Two suspects got out of the car with firearms, about 100 metres from the plaza's east parking lot, and fired "numerous rounds" into the lot, he said. Many businesses were still open and operating at the time, and the parking lot was full of people, he said.

"The plaza-goers scrambled to take cover and several vehicles and businesses were struck by the gunfire," Price said.

One man, 21-year-old Arslan Ahmad of Brampton, was struck, he said. Ahmad was taken to hospital, where he later died of his injuries, Price said.

"This individual was a university student on the last days of summer break," Price said, adding he was visiting a friend and had stopped at the plaza to make a purchase.

Police believe the suspects were using handguns, and the shooting wasn't targeted, Price said. 

"It would be unreasonable to be taking any kind of specific aim at that distance with a handgun," he said.

Price didn't provide a suspected motive for the shooting.

The suspects were driving a newer model Toyota Rav 4 with a white body and black roof, Price said. Police believe the vehicle had a vanity plate. Price said the car was circling the area in the leadup to the shooting, and was last seen speeding southbound down Weston Road following the shooting. 

Police are asking anyone with dashcam footage of the vehicle to come forward.

They are also asking anyone with information on the suspects to come forward. Price said both shooters had thin builds and were wearing masks. He said the taller suspect had a grey hoodie, black pants and black shoes, while the smaller suspect was wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants and dark shoes.