Police investigate 7 shootings in Lawrence Heights over 2 weeks

Toronto police have released security camera images and video of suspects and suspect vehicles in connection with seven shootings that took place over two weeks in Lawrence Heights.

On July 15, police were called to Pengarth Court, near Allen Road and Ranee Avenue, around 4:45 p.m. Police said the victims were sitting outside near the parking lot when a vehicle drove around the lot and parked. The two male suspects then approached the victims and fired several shots in their direction.

The suspect vehicle is described as a silver SUV, possibly an older model four-door Acura MDX with a sunroof, roof rack and silver stock rims.

The first suspect is described as five feet 10 inches tall with a skinny build. He was wearing a black sweater, grey pants and a baseball hat. The second suspect is six feet tall and has a skinny build. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black bandana and grey shorts.

Security video can be seen below:

The other six shootings took place over a five-day period, from Friday of last week to Tuesday of this week.

Around 2:30 p.m. last Friday (July 26), police were called to the area of Tundra Lane and Varna Drive, near Lawrence Avenue West.

Police said a construction crew found bullet holes in the windows of a home that was vacant at the time. During their investigation, police said they located seven bullet holes in two windows.

Later that same day, just after 7 p.m., and a short distance away, police responded to a shooting call on Ridgevale Drive, near Allen Road and Ranee. Police said a person was walking west on Ridgevale when one or more people in a black four-door Hyundai sedan approached the victim and began shooting.

The following day, at 12:56 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to another shooting call in the area of Lawrence and Varna. Police said a white-coloured SUV was travelling north on Varna when multiple shots were fired by the suspects as they drove by the victims.

Below is security camera video of the suspect vehicle:

Four minutes later, police darted off a short distance away to the area of Bathurst Street and Lawrence. Police said the suspects from the earlier shooting were in their vehicle and shot at the driver and a passenger in a ride-sharing vehicle.

Two of the seven shootings took place this week.

Just before midnight on Monday, police were called to the area of Celt Avenue and Highland Hill, near Lawrence and the Allen. Police said four to five shots were fired from a vehicle.

Then, just after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, police were once again called to the area of Ranee and Varna. Police said a dark-coloured truck was following a vehicle, when the truck pulled up beside them and someone in the vehicle started shooting. The victims’ vehicle was shot at multiple times.

Below is security camera video from the area:

It is not yet known if anyone was injured in any of these seven shooting investigations. Police have yet to find any link between the shootings beyond the location over the last two weeks.

Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu says Toronto police has stepped up their uniform patrols and police presence in the area, “to prevent further violence.”