One person died and four others were left injured following a drive-by shooting on the city's west end early Sunday morning.

Police say the shooting occurred in the parking lot of the First Choice restaurant and bar on Keele Street near Sheppard Avenue sometime after midnight.

Three were taken to hospital, two with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two others went to hospital on their own.

The death is Toronto's 44th homicide of 2009.

Homicide police are now investigating the sequence of events that lead to the outburst of violence.

They are asking the public's assistance locating an older-model dark blue or dark green van with missing or damaged windows and a damaged rear taillight.

One nearby resident told CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube that the neighbourhood has been overrun by violence.

"I'm going to change my area, it's not a good area ... every two or three weeks, something happens here," said Aziz Osmanov.

The manager of the plaza said that he has been concerned about the uptick of violence over the past year.

"I hired private security and I did everything I could to try and stop it," said manager Brian Ritchie. "I'm just shocked."

The violent incident was just one of several that occurred in the Toronto area overnight.

Anyone who attended the First Choice Restaurant in the early morning hours of Sunday or otherwise has information about what happened is 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 a message to CRIMES (274637).

With a report from CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube