Gun crimes in Lawrence Heights

Gun-related incidents have been plaguing the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood immediately south of Yorkdale Shopping Centre since late August.

In total, there has been one murder, six injuries and, most recently, a seized handgun.

On Oct. 15, police were on patrol on Dorney Court near Varna Drive, when they approached two men. One man took off running and a loaded gun fell from his clothing.

Seven charges were laid against 19-year-old Theilus Chambers, including possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition, carrying a concealed weapon and revocation of bail.

It was only a week and a half earlier, on Oct. 6, that police responded to calls for gunfire near Leila Lane and Varna Drive. Two 20-year-old men were found with gunshot wounds to the legs. Police say five suspects fled in a dark-coloured vehicle.

On Sept. 24, a man was shot near the intersection of Flemington Road and Blossomfield Crescent.

Three weeks prior to that, a woman was injured by debris after gunfire erupted near her backyard on Cather Crescent. This came one week after back-to-back shootings, on consecutive days — Aug. 25 saw the death of 24-year-old Randy Anthony Malcolm, who was shot in the head in broad daylight the previous day in front of 41 Cather Cres., along with another man who was shot in the shoulder and survived.

According to the Toronto Sun, Malcolm was a suspect in an attempted murder case back in 2008, after a shotgun shooting on Neptune Drive. That same street saw a shooting that injured one person the day before Malcolm was killed.

This type of violence is not unique to this area.

In 2007, Ricardo Francis was shot to death on Edengarth Court.

Dr. Paulos Gebreyesus, senior director at the Unison Health Community Services in Lawrence Heights, said workers are trying to reach out to the community to better understand the complex issue and put an end to the violence.