A 17-year-old boy allegedly so determined to evade capture he was willing to fire a semi-automatic pistol at a police officer - only to have it mercifully malfunction - was perhaps the most brazen episode in a weekend filled with gunfire that left one young Torontonian dead and several others wounded.
Earlier Saturday, 24-year-old Melvin Gomez was shot dead shortly before 3 a.m. inside the Col. Mustard Bar off Don Mills Road, making him the city's 54th homicide victim this year. The shots that felled Mr. Gomez, and left two other patrons injured, were allegedly fired when an altercation broke out in the bar.
Shootings causing injuries or death spiked sharply in 2008 before falling by nearly 15 per cent last year. There have been 28 shooting homicides in Toronto so far in 2010, compared with 31 as of the same date in 2009.
The 17-year-old since charged with attempted murder was one of a group of young men who fled when police approached them near Oakwood Avenue, less than 24 hours after Mr. Gomez was gunned down. The young man allegedly turned and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the officer chasing him and pulled the trigger, intending to shoot the officer, but the gun malfunctioned and did not discharge. Police apprehended the would-be shooter, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and say his pistol was loaded.
They also arrested two other individuals: 18-year-old Jamal Garrison, who was allegedly carrying cocaine and a knife; and 19-year-old Alex Frederick who stumbled as he fled, allegedly dropping a .38 calibre revolver. Mr. Frederick is charged with resisting arrest. All three suspects were scheduled to appear in a downtown courthouse Sunday, with the young offender and Mr. Frederick facing numerous gun-related charges.
Police have not released the name of the officer who was targeted, and declined to comment further.
Two other men were in hospital early Saturday after a shooting near Lawrence Avenue West and Jane Street, one shot in the neck and the other in the chest, though neither wound was considered life-threatening.
Later Saturday night, police found another victim farther south near Jane Street and Woolner Avenue with a bullet wound to his right thigh. And hours later, at around 2 a.m. Sunday, a 16-year-old was shot in the chest near Dufferin and Dupont Streets, leaving him in critical condition.
That last attack comes just four days after another 16-year-old was shot dead at a public-housing building on Neptune Drive. Tenants from the building said local gangs had been feuding in the neighbourhood.
It remains unclear whether any of the incidents in this hail of weekend bullets are connected.
With reports from The Canadian Press
Editor's Note: The original newspaper version of this article and an earlier online version contained incorrect information about the number of shooting homicides this year, compared to 2009. This online version has been corrected.
James Bradshaw