‘We are doing all we can:’ Police investigating fourth tow truck-related shooting this week

The Toronto Police Services emblem is photographed during a press conference at TPS headquarters, in Toronto, Tuesday, May 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Toronto police responded to a shooting near a tow truck yard in Etobicoke on Thursday night, marking the fourth such incident related to the industry so far this week.

Police say that officers were called to a location near The West Mall and The Queensway just before 10 p.m. on Thursday for a report of shots fired.

Police say a vehicle was damaged, though no injuries were reported.

A male suspect was seen fleeing the area in a vehicle, police say.

There was also another firearm discharge at the front of a tow yard near The West Mall and The Queensway on Wednesday, though it is unclear if the two incidents are in any way connected.

Earlier this week police also responded to two other tow-truck related shootings within the span of an hour that left three people injured.

At around 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday, two people were shot at a tow yard near Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West.

One of the victims - a man in his 50s - suffered life-threatening injuries while the other victim - a man in his 20s – sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries.

About an hour later a tow truck driver was shot while sitting in a car wash bay at a gas station in Scarborough.

He was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Speaking with reporters at an unrelated news conference on Friday, Deputy Chief Rob Johnson said that while the tow truck industry is “by and large very safe,” there does appear to be a “small fraction of criminals” that are targeting it.

“The last four (shootings) that have happened are on our radar. We are looking into it, we have dedicated resources and I want to assure the Toronto community that we are doing all we can and will continue to do that,” Johnson said. “Part of the struggle is we are working with the new (regulatory) act (the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act) and there are some changes in the regulations that have allowed bad actors to take advantage of a portion of this industry.”

Police have investigated 15 tow-truck related shootings and firearm discharges so far this year.

Johnson said that has accounted for nearly one-third (29 per cent) of all shooting and firearm discharge investigations in Toronto.

“There are people that are going to take advantage whenever they see an opportunity to make money and it fuels organized crime in a number of areas. It is shocking for sure,” he said of the shootings targeting the industry.