A teen was shot and killed in a west-end Toronto laneway earlier this evening.**********
"Don't disrespect me," witnesses heard the 19-year-old shout before a series of shots were fired at about 6:30 p.m. Police said the two fleeing suspects should be considered armed and dangerous.
One was described as a black male, about six feet tall, 16 to 18 years old and skinny with hair in corn rows, while the second was described as a black male, about six feet tall, 18 to 20 years of age and of medium build with a short afro haircut.
There have been two homicides in the neighbourhood so far this year.
RELATED: Lies, damn lies... and statistics
Crime, unfortunately, is about real people and not just numbers.**********
For example the slain in Toronto in 2009 -- Michael Minott, Rajeswaren Saravanamuthu, Daniel Dasilva, Peter Bowen, Alexis Eracleous, Jahmelle Grant, Basil Bryan, Kevin Boateng, Marion Lyons, Kaser Kerry St. Louis, Evelyn Alfaro Mendez and Johnny Gewarges Youkhana -- are not statistics to their families.
Take for example Toronto Police's own website, which indicates in its own information gathering as of April 9 Toronto's shooting occurrences are up 31.3% in 2009 over this time last year, with 63 this year compared to 48 in 2008.
In actual victims, there have been 77 this year compared to 68 last year. And a lot has happened since April 9.
LAST WORD: Ask a Police Chief
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