Man dies in stabbing at Toronto homeless shelter, 1 arrested
Posted December 30, 2023 7:16 am.
Last Updated December 30, 2023 12:33 pm.
A man has died after being stabbed early Saturday morning at a homeless shelter near Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bathurst Street.
Police were called to the area just before 2 a.m. for reports of a stabbing. A man in his 50s was found with stab wounds.
He was taken to hospital and was pronounced dead.
A 25-year-old man was arrested on the scene and the homicide unit is investigating.
The shelter operator’s chief executive officer said both the person who died and the person arrested were residents at the 74-bed men’s shelter.
Homes First CEO Patricia Mueller says no staff were injured.
Mueller says she does not anticipate any “major relocation” of people staying at the shelter during the investigation.
“We are very upset with this horrible incident and this horrible outcome,” she said.
“We care deeply about the health and safety of our clients and we’re doing everything we can to cooperate with the police as fully as possible.”
A City of Toronto spokesperson says officials were aware of the “unfortunate news” of a fatal stabbing at the shelter and directed further questions to police.
A recent review co-authored by researchers at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggested fears of violence and other forms of harm were prominent concerns for people accessing shelters, with those identifying as LGBTQ at heightened risk.
Data obtained by The Canadian Press through freedom of information laws shows the number of violent incidents at Toronto shelters spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, which some shelter users have cited as a reason for an increase in outdoor encampments.
