Victim of Schomberg shooting mistakenly targeted, York police say as suspect sketches released
A drive-by shooting in Schomberg that seriously injured a 65-year-old man earlier this year was targeted but "the victim was not the intended target," York Regional Police said Tuesday.
The revelation is a marked shift in the publicly available information about the February 12 shooting, which left the small community about 45 kilometres north of Toronto reeling.
Police initially said they believed the shooting was spontaneous and possibly prompted by the victim — who was walking his dog at the time — gesturing at a speeding SUV to slow down.
In a news release outlining the latest developments, York police also released sketches of the two men who they say were in the white Lexus RX-350 when the shots were fired. Investigators appealed for the public's help to identify the suspects.
York police's Serious and Organized Crime Bureau has taken over the investigation, the news release added.
The shooting happened shortly before 8:40 a.m. on Centre Street, between Rebellion Way and Church Street. The victim was struck multiple times.
"The victim is going through a lengthy recovery process, but will survive," police said.
Investigators had previously asked for the public's help to recover the SUV connected to the shooting, which had Ontario licence plate CXAK183. The vehicle was originally reported stolen in Toronto, police said, but they did not provide any other details about that theft.
"Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle and to immediately contact investigators with any information about its location."
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact York police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.
