Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner carjacked at gunpoint in Etobicoke

Toronto police are investigating after Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner was carjacked at gunpoint in Etobicoke on Monday night.

Officers responded to a call around 7:45 p.m. after getting reports a man was robbed of his black Range Rover in a movie theatre parking lot in the area of The Queensway and Islington Avenue.

Police tell CityNews the carjackers threw Marner’s cellphone out of the vehicle and fled south in the SUV onto the Gardiner Expressway.

The Maple Leafs released a statement confirming Marner was a victim in the incident and say he was unharmed.

“The club and Mitch are thankful for Toronto Police Services’ support,” reads the statement. “TPS has asked that neither Mitch or the Club comment any further on the details of the incident as this is an ongoing investigation.”

Police don’t believe the thieves were targeting the NHL star and instead just wanted the luxury vehicle. The Range Rover was last seen on Highway 401 near Yonge Street.

“The victims, a man and a woman in their 20s, were robbed at gunpoint for their vehicle. And that was the (Range) Rover that was stolen,” Insp. Rich Harris told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

“Trust me, when I tell you dedicated investigators are working on this feverishly and continue to review any and all evidence that we have so far.”

Harris said they are looking for three suspects, two who were armed with handguns and one who was armed with a knife.

“Evidence suggests this was a crime of opportunity,” Harris said, acknowledging that his unit has investigated 60 carjackings so far this year, while last year it investigated 59 for all of 2021.

Related:

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The 25-year-old Marner was not injured in the encounter and no suspect descriptions have been made available.

The carjacking comes a day after York Regional Police released a video about car hijackings being on the rise in the GTA.

In the video, the force said thieves have been typically following vehicles when they park, ambushing drivers when they exit their vehicles and stealing their car keys by force. York police also noted that the heists often involve high-end brands like Mercedes Benz, Audi and Porsche.

In a Toronto Police Service board meeting earlier this year, the service reported that auto thefts were up 58 per cent between 2017 and 2020 and up another 8 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020.

Maple Leafs players react to Marner carjacking

Maple Leafs players cleaned out their lockers and spoke to the media on Tuesday morning.

The team did not make Marner available to the media, but several of his teammates commented on the incident.

“Scary stuff,” said Leafs veteran forward Jason Spezza. “That’s life, that’s not hockey, that’s scary. I’m glad to see that he’s okay.”

Marner’s linemate Auston Matthews and defenceman Morgan Reilly echoed those sentiments and expressed relief their teammate was unharmed.

“I’m just happy that he’s okay and that he wasn’t hurt,” said Matthews. “It’s great to see him here today, can’t imagine that’s a very fun experience to go through.”

The Maple Leafs season came to an end on Saturday when they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

With files from The Canadian Press