Eight teenage ladies who apparently met on social media have been charged with second-degree homicide within the stabbing loss of life of a 59-year-old man, Toronto police mentioned Tuesday.
Investigators allege that the women assaulted and stabbed the person in Toronto’s downtown core early Sunday morning. Police mentioned medics took the person to a hospital, the place he died.
According to police, the eight ladies have been arrested close to the place the assault occurred. Three of the women are 13 years outdated, three are 14 and two are 16.
Detective Sgt. Terry Browne of the Toronto Police Service Homicide Squad mentioned they suppose the women have been making an attempt to take a bottle of alcohol from the person.
“I’ve been in policing for almost 35 years and you think you’ve seen it all,” Browne mentioned in an interview with The Associated Press. “Anyone who isn’t shocked with hearing something like this has clearly just thrown in the towel and just said that anything is possible in this world. Eight young girls and most under the age of 16. If this isn’t alarming and shocking to everyone, then we’re all in trouble quite frankly.”
Browne mentioned the identical ladies bought into an altercation earlier within the evening within the space. He declined to launch extra particulars on that.
“They met each other through social media. They come from varying parts of the city,” Browne mentioned. “We don’t know how or why they met on that evening and why the destination was downtown Toronto. We don’t know how long they were acquainted with each other. I wouldn’t describe them as a gang at this point.”
Browne mentioned they took half in a “swarming.” He declined to say in the event that they videotaped it. He mentioned they are going to look to see if there are related assaults on-line.
“Maybe these were eight young women that wanted to make a name for themselves and see if they could become socially famous,” he mentioned.
Police imagine all of them acted in live performance.
“They are all equally culpable,” he mentioned. “There is no doubt in our minds that they were all working as a singular entity in a swarming mob mentality when they chose to attack this man.”
He mentioned plenty of weapons have been seized, however he declined to say what form. He additionally mentioned three of the women had prior encounters with the police.
“It’s bizarre that they would all have hooked up together and found their way to downtown Toronto. Their primary residences are all over the place,” he mentioned.
Browne mentioned police spoke to the dad and mom of the teenagers.
“I can tell you it was a shock to find out that their children were involved in an event like this,” he mentioned.
Canadian authorities cannot launch the women’ names by regulation as a result of they’re underage.
They have made their first court docket look and stay in custody. The subsequent court docket look is Dec. 29.
Browne mentioned the sufferer began dwelling in Toronto’s shelter system in September. He mentioned they have not been in a position to attain sure relations and till they do they will not launch his identify.
“He does have a very supportive family in the area so I wouldn’t necessarily call him homeless. Maybe just recently on some hard luck,” he mentioned.
Browne mentioned they’re asking anybody who noticed the the group of teenagers that evening to contact police.
He mentioned 20 or 30 years in the past in Toronto younger teen boys would swarm others and attempt to steal Dr. Martens boots or Air Jordan sneakers for a time however mentioned that pale away.
“Has this happened recently that we are not aware of? Have people been posting this stuff online that we weren’t aware of?” he mentioned. “It’s something that we are going to try to find out.”
Girls typically account for a minority of crimes in Canada, with boys twice as prone to interact in violent conduct, in accordance with authorities statistics.
According to statistics launched by the Toronto Police Service, there have been 68 homicides this yr, a 16% lower since final yr. The metropolis has seen 17 stabbing deaths in 2022, marking a 13.3% enhance in such homicides from 2021.
The incident comes simply days after a suburban Toronto man fatally shot 5 folks in his condominium constructing, together with three members of the rental board.
AFP contributed to this report.