Man, 20, charged in fatal Vaughan shooting in March
A man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for first-degree murder has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting in Vaughan that left another man dead, York Regional Police say.
The shooting on March 9 killed Alexander Mills-Smith, 24, of Toronto, police said in a news release on Tuesday.
A second man has also been arrested and charged for allegedly helping the suspected killer to evade arrest, police added.
The pair, both 20, have been charged with a combined 23 offences.
Officers found Mills-Smith with gunshot wounds near Dufferin Street and Summeridge Drive after being called to the area at 3:45 a.m, police said in the release. At the time, police said the victim was found unconscious on the side of the road.
Mills-Smith was taken to a trauma centre but died there a short time later. A post-mortem exam held the day after his death determined that he died of gunshot wounds, police said.
Police have said two additional victims were injured in the shooting and left the scene in a car.
The two additional victims were found with gunshot wounds in the area of Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West in North York shortly after the earlier shooting. A man, 20, suffered serious injuries and the woman, 21, suffered minor injuries.
In the release, police said officers arrested the man wanted on the warrant after locating him in a stolen vehicle in the area of Jane Street and Finch Avenue in Toronto on April 19. He is of no fixed address.
Police said they determined that a second man in the vehicle had allegedly helped the first.
The first man has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition contrary to a prohibition order, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession for the purpose of trafficking, along with several weapons-related charges.
The second man has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition contrary to a prohibition order, failure to comply with a probation order in relation to previous weapons offences, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession for the purpose of trafficking and additional weapons-related charges.
In an online obituary, Wills-Smith, known as Zander, is remembered as a "handsome, personable, and generous young man."
"He was well known in his neighborhood for his talent in hip hop music. Zander was a quiet, insightful, and funny child who did all he could to make sure those closest to him were happy," the obituary reads.
