A teenager has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of an eight-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet while lying in bed in his North York apartment last month.
JahVai Roy was lying in bed with his mother when he was struck inside his apartment near Martha Eaton Way and Trethewey Drive just after midnight on Aug. 16.
He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said at a news conference Wednesday that the teenager, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and five firearm offences. He is now 16.
He was arrested on Friday, police said.
When he was arrested, police allege he was in possession of a loaded firearm which was modified to allow it to fire automatically.
Two other youth suspects remain outstanding, Demkiw said.
Ibrahim Ibrahim, 17, and Amarii Lindner, 18, both of Toronto, are wanted for first-degree murder. Lindner was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, police said.
Demkiw is encouraging Ibrahim and Lindner to turn themselves in to police and is asking anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
“If you know where they are and are found to be harbouring them or aiding them in any way, we will investigate and lay charges as appropriate,” he said.
Det.-Sgt. Jason Davis, a member of the police’s homicide and missing persons unit, said that although Roy was not the intended target, the shooting is believed to have been planned, so the first-degree-murder chargers remain the same.
He believes the two other suspects remain in the city.
Late last month, police released images of a white Acura seen fleeing the scene before officers arrived and that investigators said may be connected to the case. Police confirmed Wednesday that the car was the suspect’s car.
The shooting has prompted calls to action against gun violence in the city, including a petition calling on all levels of government to make changes in the way they deal with gun violence.
