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Toronto shooting suspect is 1 of 6 wounded, family witnesses dramatic chase

Toronto shooting suspect is 1 of 6 wounded, family witnesses dramatic chase

The investigation into a shooting of several people in northwest Toronto led to yesterday's police shooting of one suspect, and shock for a family caught in the middle of the chaos of the arrest.

The male suspect, shot on Elmhurst Drive, west of Islington Avenue, remains in serious condition in hospital Friday.

He was wounded as police chased suspects following the shooting of four men and one woman at a townhouse complex at 404 Driftwood Ave. near Jane Street.

The five shot near the townhouses suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police, who were called to a playground near the townhouses around 6 p.m. ET Thursday.

About half an hour after the shooting, police — some reportedly giving chase in unmarked vehicles — spotted a car on Elmhurst Drive believed to be carrying suspects.

Police say several suspects left the car and began to run in different directions, some into backyards. Officers quickly nabbed one suspect on the front yard of a home and later arrested three others.

Three of the accused were scheduled to appear in court Friday and have been identified as:

- Akeem Bailey, 25, of Toronto, charged with 30 offences.

- Clifton Vassel Youria, 29, of Toronto, charged with 36 offences.

- Maurice Smith, 21, of Toronto, charged with 25 offences.

A fourth man, Daniel Duarte-Alvarez, 20, of Mississauga, has been charged with 21 offences. Police are expected to release a full list of charges later.

Family told to 'get on the ground'

At one point during the chase, a car smashed into the back of a red Honda Civic that was parked on a driveway on Elmhurst Drive. It's not clear who was driving.

"We looked out the window and saw vehicles speeding up the driveway, [one of which] ran into our vehicle, pushing it into the house," said the Civic's owner, who was just finishing dinner with his family.

"And then all sorts of people were running around, along the front yard and the street, and I noticed some had guns," he said. "So I told my family to get on the ground until we knew what was going on."

Mayor John Tory, speaking to reporters at City Hall on Friday, condemned the violence on Driftwood Avenue.

"I want to be clear that as mayor, I can tell you right now, I will not for a minute tolerate lawlessness and complete disregard for human life, which is what we saw yesterday. To the criminals and to the gangsters who perpetrate these acts, I have a message:

"You will, thanks to the competence and hard work and determination of our police service, but also everybody else in this community, including the people here at City Hall, we will track these people down, we will help to catch them, and make sure that they face the full force of the justice system."

Ontario's Special Investigation Unit (SIU), which probes all incidents involving police in Ontario that result in serious injury or death, has been called in.