A squabble on a basketball court turned driveby shooting has become the city's 35th homicide.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, police went to a call in the Gilder Drive and Eglinton Avenue East area.
Twenty-two-year-old Zabiullah Mojaddedi was taken to hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. He died shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
A post-mortem examination has been scheduled.
When the bullets started to fly, there were children playing in the playground neighbouring the court -- a fact that distressed local residents.
Witnesses say they saw at least two male suspects flee the scene in a black vehicle.
Witnesses and others with information are asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).
Some friends of the victim suggest the shooting was gang-related, police say Mojaddedi was not a gang member. They do not believe he was specifically targeted.
Homicide 34
A city man was to appear in court Thursday following a homicide on Tuesday.
Police allege that victim Patrick John Smith, 17, was in an apartment on George Street in the vicinity of Shuter and Victoria Streets downtown.
"The accused was in possession of a handgun. The handgun discharged once, striking the victim," police said Wednesday in a news release, adding the firearm was recovered at the scene.
Quincy Callaghan-Thomas, 18, has been charged with manslaughter.
Shootings by the numbers
Four people have died from bullets since August 1. There were three shootings Wednesday night and eight since Tuesday.
However, the Toronto Police Service's website indicates that as of Aug. 6, while the number of occurrences are up 19 per cent and the number of victims up 12 per cent over the same period in 2008, deaths are down 30 per cent.
To this point, there has been 156 shooting occurrences, compared to 131 in 2008. There have been 204 victims, compared to 182 in 2008.
There have been 16 shooting deaths, compared to 23 in 2008. There have been 94 injuries, comared to 92 in 2008.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Janice Golding
