On a Saturday evening in Rexdale, a family gathered in a townhouse courtyard to mark a one-year-old's first birthday, and the celebration was broken open by gunfire that reached children who had come only for cake and play. In the days that followed, police moved from one arrest to two, naming a 21-year-old man alongside the 24-year-old already charged, and in doing so they showed how a single moment of violence can ripple outward into arrests, hospital vigils, and a community asking how such danger reached a child's party. The story is still unfolding, with officers saying others who fired th
Second Man Charged After Shooting Erupts at One-Year-Old's Birthday Party in Toronto
A five-year-old girl is critically injured with a head wound, an 11-year-old was shot in the buttocks, a 23-year-old was shot in the leg, and a one-year-old was grazed by a bullet.
Four hurt at a one-year-old's birthday party
On a Saturday evening in Rexdale, a family gathered in a townhouse courtyard to mark a one-year-old's first birthday, and the celebration was broken open by gunfire that reached children who had come only for cake and play. In the days that followed, police moved from one arrest to two, naming a 21-year-old man alongside the 24-year-old already charged, and in doing so they showed how a single moment of violence can ripple outward into arrests, hospital vigils, and a community asking how such danger reached a child's party. The story is still unfolding, with officers saying others who fired that day will also be held to account.
On Saturday night, a front-yard birthday party for a one-year-old on Tandridge Crescent, in a Rexdale townhouse complex near Albion Road and Islington Avenue, became a shooting scene. Shots were fired into the gathering, and four people were hurt: three children and one man.
The most seriously injured is a five-year-old girl, shot in the head, who remains in hospital in critical condition. An 11-year-old was shot in the buttocks, and a 23-year-old was shot in the leg. The one-year-old whose birthday was being celebrated was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene.
On Tuesday, police announced a second arrest: Kevin George, 21, faces four counts of aggravated assault, along with weapons offences and failing to comply with a recognizance. Earlier, Demar Cadogan, 24, was charged with discharging a firearm with intent.
The investigation continues. Acting Chief James Ramer says officers are looking for others who fired that day, and he called the gunfire at a child's party despicable and absurd. Police describe an exchange of gunfire rather than a single shooter, and the coming days will show whether more arrests follow and how the five-year-old fares.
On Saturday night, a front-yard birthday party for a one-year-old on Tandridge Crescent, a Rexdale townhouse complex near Albion Road and Islington Avenue, turned into a shooting scene. Shots were fired into the gathering, and four people were hurt: three children and one man.
The most seriously injured is a five-year-old girl, who was hit in the head and remains in hospital in critical condition. An 11-year-old was shot in the buttocks and taken to hospital. A 23-year-old was shot in the leg and was also taken for treatment. The child whose birthday was being celebrated, just one year old, was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene.
On Tuesday, Toronto Police announced a second arrest. Kevin George, 21, of Toronto, is charged with four counts of aggravated assault, weapons offences, and failing to comply with a recognizance. The four assault counts match the four people reported injured.
Police had earlier charged Demar Cadogan, 24, of Toronto. He faces a charge of discharging a firearm with intent, along with three other firearm offences.
The investigation is not finished. Acting police chief James Ramer said officers are looking for others who fired shots that day. "We will be arresting all of you," he said. Ramer noted that any shooting is traumatic, but he called one at a child's party "despicable." He also said that men exchanging gunfire at a child's birthday party is "absolutely absurd" and that it makes him very angry.
The account from police points to an exchange of gunfire rather than a single shooter, which is why Ramer's reference to others matters. Two men are now charged, and police say more people fired weapons. What to watch for next is whether further arrests follow and what updates come on the condition of the five-year-old girl.
Citations marquantes
We will be arresting all of you.— Acting police chief James Ramer
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Crime & Justice