A man from Brampton has been arrested following a shooting at a Jewish-owned restaurant in North York early Friday morning, as announced by Toronto Police Chief, Myron Demkiw, on Wednesday.
Police responded to reports of gunfire at Old Avenue Restaurant located in the Avenue Road and Brooke Avenue area around 1:28 a. m.
Upon arrival, they discovered signs of gunfire and damage to the establishment.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
A suspect was seen escaping the scene in a dark-colored SUV.
On Wednesday, Demkiw stated that “covert” resources present in the area managed to follow the fleeing vehicle and acquire its licence plate.
The undercover officers were there as part of an “enhanced deployment” due to recent shootings targeting synagogues and businesses owned by Jewish individuals in that neighborhood.
“Covert assets saw the suspect fleeing and gathered critical info that led to the arrest,” Demkiw explained.
The accused, 30-year-old Mohamed Mahdi, was apprehended after a search warrant was executed on Sunday, April 5, in the Boviard Drive East and Torbram Road area of Brampton.
Mahdi faces charges including discharging a restricted or prohibited firearm, possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and unauthorized possession of a firearm within a motor vehicle.
Demkiw mentioned that this swift arrest should act as a warning for anyone considering similar actions.
“Today we send a clear message to whoever else is thinking of targeting our communities; we will do whatever we can to stop you and hold you accountable,” he said.
Superintendent Ryan Forde noted that investigators are currently looking into potential connections with other incidents and trying to find out if Mahdi acted alone or with accomplices.
Despite recent incidents targeting Jewish synagogues and businesses, Chief Superintendent Katherine Stephenson indicated that they are still working on determining the motive behind Friday’s shooting.
“At this point we are reviewing all available evidence,” she said. “It’s not lost on us that there have been several shootings within such a short period targeting synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses; so we are examining this investigation from all angles.”
A Toronto Police Service shoulder badge is shown in this undated photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
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