Second arrest made in GTA cinema shootings linked to turf war
Posted May 31, 2024 10:40 am.
Last Updated May 31, 2024 10:42 am.
A second man has been arrested and charged as part of an ongoing investigation into a string of shootings targeting cinemas across the GTA.
On January 24, 2024, York Regional Police officers were called to a theatre in the Highway 7 and East Beaver Creek area in Richmond Hill after an employee showed up to work and discovered the glass doors at the front entrance had been shattered by bullets.
A similar incident took place on the same day at a cinema in Vaughan, near Highway 7 and Weston Road. Two more cinema shootings occurred in Toronto and Peel Region on the same night.
Investigators believe the same suspects are responsible for all four shootings and say they used the same vehicle in each instance.
No injuries were reported, and the cinemas were all closed at the time of the shootings, which are being linked to a turf war with a group attempting to prevent various South Indian-language movies from being shown in favour of other films.
On April 30, police arrested 27-year-old Andrew Douglas of Markham. He faces over 20 charges, including four counts of discharging a firearm, one count of weapons dangerous and four counts of careless use of a firearm, among other related offences.
On May 22, authorities executed search warrants at a home in Brampton and at a business in Toronto. Prasanna Kalingarajan, 43, of Brampton, was charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, intimidation, extortion and uttering threats.
The investigation is ongoing and further suspects are being sought.
With files from Michael Talbot of CityNews
