A Toronto police officer walks past an orange tarp covering the remains of one of two teens gunned down in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto, August 23, 2013.J.P. Moczulski/The Globe and Mail
Footage caught by surveillance cameras at the Toronto public housing complex where two teenage boys were shot and killed Friday has been turned over to police, but several cameras were not functioning.
O'She Doyles-Whyte and Kwame Duodu were gunned down in broad daylight Friday afternoon outside a row of townhouses in the complex at 287 Grandravine Dr. in northwestern Toronto.
Toronto Community Housing Corporation spokeswoman Sara Goldvine said a string of vandalism since June has put some of the 69 cameras at Yorkwoods Village out of service.
She would not specify how many cameras were not working or whether any camera, broken or functional, was in a position to capture the shooting, citing security concerns and an ongoing police investigation.
"I know that we did capture footage that was provided to police," Ms. Goldvine said Sunday. "I can't speak to the nature of what was captured."
Police turned to the housing complex's surveillance footage to help them piece together shooting, but discovered that multiple cameras were not functioning.
Ms. Goldvine could not say how long the cameras had been out of service, but said they are in the process of being repaired.
She said it is a priority of Toronto Community Housing to keep cameras working and to repair broken ones in a timely manner, but acknowledged that timely repairs can be hampered by the extent of the damage, the agency's procurement process, and financial resources.
Detective Sergeant Terry Browne, who is investigating the shooting, described having footage of three youths fleeing the scene on bicycles whom he believes were involved in the incident.
He would not say whether the cameras captured images of the shooting or whether any broken cameras could have better assisted police in the investigation.
"I really need witnesses to come forward," Det. Sgt. Browne said. "I am still appealing to that community at large. I need those people to contact me as soon as possible while everything is still fresh in their minds."
In Toronto Police Division 31, where the shooting occurred, and in two bordering divisions, police have heightened their presence, expanding to 12-hour shifts.