Toronto police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after two young men were fatally shot late Wednesday night by gunmen in a black SUV.
"You can see by the blood staining that the place of the murder is right out in the open," Det. Pauline Gray of the homicide squad told reporters on Thursday.
"It's only logical that people saw the actual murder happen and I need them to come forward."
Police received multiple calls reporting gunshots at 1765 Weston Rd., near Lawrence Avenue West, at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night. The shooting scene was an alleyway.
When officers arrived on the scene they found two men with gunshot wounds; one 23-year-old man was shot in the abdomen while an 18-year-old was shot in the head.
Both men were rushed to Sunnybrook hospital's trauma unit, but succumbed to their injuries.
Police are not releasing their names at this time, but they are Toronto's 43rd and 44th homicide victims of 2010.
Claude Watson said he knew both victims and that they had danced together in a hip-hop group.
"All I know is that they got shot and that they are not here. I don't know how things happened, why things happened (or) who did it."
Detectives also say it is too soon to speculate as to motives.
Two cars were left parked in a nearby alleyway where the shooting took place, one with a bullet hole in the trunk. About 20 shell casings were visible at the scene Thursday morning.
The suspects were last seen leaving the area heading north in a black SUV. "Nat" told reporters he heard the first two shots and saw the SUV leave, with one victim struggling to get up.
"Victoria" told reporters about the chaos in her residence after the gunfire broke out.
There have been 16 shooting incidents in the area so far this year.
One resident told CTV Toronto that the neighbourhood is very nice in the daytime, but is unstable at night.
With a report from CTV Toronto's John Musselman
