Police make arrest in Yonge and Dundas stabbing, suspect previously faced charges in Danzig shooting

Shaquan Mesquito has been arrested and charged for three offences, including attempted murder. (Credit: Toronto Police Services) (Toronto Police Service)

Toronto police have made an arrest in a stabbing in downtown Toronto last week that left a man with life-threatening injuries.

The stabbing took place at around10:30 p.m. on July 11 near Yonge and Dundas streets. Officers found a 30-year-old man with life threatening injuries at the scene.

They issued a warrant for the suspect on Wednesday for attempted murder and other assault charges.

On Thursday, the suspect was arrested by members of the Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement Squad and Toronto police’s Emergency Task Force.

The suspect, identified by police as 31-year-old Shaquan Mesquito, previously faced charges in relation to a 2012 mass shooting at a community barbeque on Danzig Street in Scarborough.

Then 18, Mesquito was initially charged with 27 offences in relation to that shooting, including two counts of murder. Following guilty pleas to lesser offences, Mesquito’s first-degree murder charges were dropped. He was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2016 with credit for time served.

The Canadian Press reported at the time that a lawyer for Mesquito had said that his client wasn’t involved in the shooting other than “unfortunately taking credit for it afterwards.”

In a press release on Friday, Toronto police said that they have charged Mesquito with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon in connection with the stabbing.

With files from the Canadian Press