Beaches manhunt suspect has Tec-9 machine gun: police source
Posted June 8, 2012 12:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s now becoming clear why police virtually shut down a large section of the Beaches and put 15 schools under hold-and-secure on Thursday while hunting for a wanted man.
A police source tells CityNews they believe the suspect, Nicholas Dillion-Jack, possesses a Tec-9 machine gun which was used as recently as this past weekend.
It’s not yet clear if he was toting the semi-automatic weapon while evading police Thursday.
Sources also tell CityNews he’s a member of the Sic Thugs – the same gang connected to the recent fatal shooting at the Eaton Centre.
Dillion-Jack, 18, is wanted for numerous crimes, including attempted murder. He’s accused of stabbing a man in the chest during a fight inside the St. Stephen’s Community House in Kensington Market on May 23.
He’s also wanted in connection to a shooting at Alexandra Park, a pistol-whipping at an apartment on Bleecker Street, and an armed theft in the Spadina and Queen W area.
He managed to escape on Thursday, despite the heavy police presence combing residential streets in the east end.
Police say Dillion-Jack, of no fixed address, should be considered armed and dangerous and they warn that anyone helping to hide him could face jail time.
“He’s still out there. We want him to contact a lawyer and turn himself in,” Const. Tony Vella told reporters.
“If you’re assisting him, that’s a serious offence.”
The affected schools in the Toronto public board were:
- Norway Junior Public School
- Williamson Road Junior Public School
- Kew Beach Junior Public School
- Bowmore Road Public School
- Balmy Beach Community School
- Glen Ames Senior Public School
- Adam Beck Junior Public School
- Courcelette Public School
- Monarch Park Collegiate Institute
- Malvern Collegiate Institute
- Kimberly Junior Public School and Beaches Alternative School (the latter two share the same building)
Three Catholic schools were also in hold-and-secure. Notre Dame High School, St. Denis Catholic School and St. John Catholic School, were all affected, a board spokeswoman said.
The schools were placed in hold-and-secure mode as a precaution. Police don’t believe Dillion-Jack was ever at any of the schools. No one was injured during Thursday’s manhunt.
Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird told CityNews that during a hold-and-secure, the doors to the school are locked and school life continues as normal.
“Most students … probably don’t have any knowledge of what’s going on right now. Students were kept inside as an abundance of caution.”
A command post was set up in the area and police urged residents to call 911 if they spot Dillion-Jack, who’s described as five feet, five inches tall, 140 pounds with black hair in corn rows, a tattoo of the word “Toronto” on his right forearm and a thin moustache.
