Police believe 2 suspects in brazen playground shooting still in GTA
Posted June 29, 2018 7:03 am.
Last Updated June 29, 2018 6:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police are urging two men wanted in a brazen playground shooting earlier this month to turn themselves in.
Canada-wide warrants have been issued for both Tarrick Rhoden and T’Quan Robertson in the June 14 shooting that injured two sisters, aged five and nine, at a playground at Alton Towers Circle, near McCowan Road and McNicoll Avenue.
Both girls are now home and doing well after undergoing several surgeries to repair the damage done by the shooting.
Rhoden and Robertson, both from Toronto, are each wanted for a number of charges including attempted murder, discharging a firearm with intent, and two counts of aggravated assault.
On Friday, Det.-Sgt. Jim Gotell said police believe the pair are still in the Toronto area and are likely being aided by friends and family.
“It’s fair to say that after the shooting people have spoken with both Rhoden and Robertson,” he said.
“We have been looking very hard for them and they know that we are looking very hard for them.”
A third suspect, Sheldon Eriya, 21, of Markham was arrested two days after the shooting and is facing seven charges including two counts of attempted murder. His lawyer has said he will plead not guilty to the charges.
Gotell would not get into details of what the motive may have been for the shooting.
Police estimate there were about 11 children playing in the park at the time of the shooting and believe as many as 10 shots were fired by two men.
Gotell said they have yet to speak to all the children who were in the park, noting that some are still traumatized by that day.
“There are other victims in this shooting that we haven’t talked about before,” said Gotell. “We’ve been told that a lot of these children are suffering from nightmares and they don’t want to go back to the park that they were playing in before this.”
Gotell said investigators believe the intended victim was in the park at the time with his child but fled the scene once the shooting began. He added police are still actively searching for this person. Investigators don’t believe he was injured in the incident as no one matching his description has shown up at any area hospitals with a gunshot wound in the past two weeks.
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