Barely two hours into 2011, as celebrations were winding down in the city’s Entertainment District, the deadly altercation erupted in the area of Queen St. W. and Portland St., Toronto Police say.**********
UPDATE: Arrest made in homicide #1
Toronto Police have charged 27-year-old Toronto resident Luke Heath with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of Brian Takahashi, the city’s first homicide of 2011.**********
FROM THE COMMENTS:
"This actually represents a per capita DROP in the homicide rate."Yes, Mike... I'm sure the families of the folks who were attacked will take comfort from your observation...
The murder victim’s name was not immediately released. But friends and family identified him as Brian Takahashi, 20, of Campbellville, a village west of Milton.**********
New Year’s Eve also saw a man shot in the ankle just south of the murder scene on King St. W. And 24 hours before the slaying an 18-year-old man was stabbed at Peter and Adelaide Sts.
RELATED: Lies, damned lies & statistics
In 1962, there were slightly more than 200 violent crimes committed per 100,000 population. In 2007, that number spiked to 930 violent crimes per 100,000 population. In other words, we are a much more violent society today than we were in recent history.