A TORONTO TRAGEDY

I never reprint any newspaper story on my web page... up to now..On the afternoon of Boxing day ( a Canadian Holiday after Christmas ), I was in the neighbourhood of Yonge/Dundas.  I have been visiting this area on Boxing Day for the past 20 years. I  thanked God I was not within the area where the actual shooting took place. I was a block away, but I saw the screaming crowd rushed towards my direction for safety. It was a terrifying moment for who would think that a shoot out, just like what we see in movies would happen..And those pistol toting desperadoes were using live bullets!

The Toronto Police were swift to cordon the area with yellow tapes and two Police cruisers blocked a part of Yonge street in front of Sam the Record Man and HMV. All of a sudden, the Boxing Day crowd evaporated from this area appearing somewhere else  blocks away. HMV started putting 25% off yellow tags on their wares just to attract more customers back..

The police were busy picking up bullet fragments, shells and of course, interviewing people.

Torontonians, including me, felt overwhelmed when a while ago, the police released the photo of the victim..She was a beautiful Gr. 10 student of a Toronto High School.Toronto again was smeared with the blood of an innocent child.And on a day which we celebrate in the Philippines as Ninios Innocentes.

Here is a clipping of the story..

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Toronto police release name, details of shooting victim

Toronto Police have released a name and other details about a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed on Boxing Day when gunfire broke out in a downtown area bustling with shoppers.

At a news conference late Wednesday, Det. Savas Kyriacou identified the victim as Jane Creba.

  "Jane was a Grade 10 student at Riverdale Collegiate," Kyriacou said.

He also released the results of a post-mortem examination.

"Cause of death was determined to be a bullet wound to the body."

Creba's family had initially asked that her name not be released.

Some witnesses had previously told reporters the girl was shopping with her family when a bullet hit her head.

'Significant progress' in probe: police chief

Earlier in the day, the city's police chief said his force was making "very significant progress" in investigating the shootings, which also left six people with injuries.

Bill Blair told CBC News that police have a number of leads and are awaiting the results of forensic, ballistic and DNA tests.

A lot of information is coming in from witnesses at the scene. Investigators are also reviewing video taken in the area of the shooting, he said.

"The investigation is very active and we're making very significant progress and I'm very confident we'll get to the bottom of this and bring the people responsible to justice."

Gang feud may have spurred shooting: reports

A feud between rival gang members may have sparked the shooting, published reports said.

A gentleman pauses to light a candle at a makeshift memorial where the Yonge Street shooting took place.

Police believe 10 to 15 people in their late teens to early 20s from two different groups were involved in an exchange of gunfire on busy Yonge Street near the Eaton Centre, the reports said.

Within an hour of the shooting, police arrested two young men at a nearby subway station, where they recovered a gun. By Wednesday, it was still uncertain if the two were involved in the violence. No charges had been laid.

Police said there could be more arrests.

The shooting happened just before dinnertime Monday as shoppers crowded the sidewalks of Yonge Street, just north of the tourist-heavy Eaton Centre.

Creba was ''the funniest, prettiest and all around nicest person,' classmate writes

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said witnesses have been providing a lot of information about the shooting.

Creba was declared dead in hospital following the 5:19 p.m. shooting. Witnesses said she had been standing outside a Foot Locker store when she was hit.

"She was honest to God the funniest, prettiest and all around nicest person...," one classmate wrote about her on a blog. "I can't think of a single person who didn't like her and everyone loved laughing and joking with her. Shehad the nicest fun-loving attitude towards everything and I know that everyone will miss her."

Creba, who lived in the city's east end, has been described as a top student and excellent athlete.

Six other people – four males and two females – were taken to hospital.

"One person, a male, is in critical condition," police said.

Police have said all the victims were innocent bystanders.

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