Up in Toronto, eight teenagers are accused of uniting forces within the identify of stabbing a 59-year-old man to loss of life.
The ladies all vary between 13 and 16 years previous, and the incident went down shortly after midnight on Sunday, per an announcement from the Toronto Police Service.
Authorities Believe The Teens Met On Social Media & ‘Come From Varying Parts Of The City’
During a press convention on Tuesday, Detective Sergeant Terry Browne went into additional element on the matter. Notably, he defined that the kids are believed to have been concerned in a separate incident forward of the stabbing.
“We have information to believe that this same group of 8 young women were involved in another altercation earlier before becoming involved in this altercation.”
Additionally, Browne famous that the group is comprised of three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, and two 16-year-olds. However, it’s unclear why precisely they selected to hyperlink up that night.
“These 8 individuals, from what we’ve gathered so far, met on social media. They come from varying parts of the city…We don’t know how or why they met on that evening or why the destination was Downtown Toronto. We don’t know how long they’ve been acquainted with each other, but I wouldn’t describe them as a gang at this point.”
He went on to share that three of the kids “had prior contact with law enforcement,” and he additionally described the character of the assault as “swarming or swarming-type behavior.”
As for the 59-year-old man, he hasn’t been publicly recognized, although authorities be aware that he’d been staying at a homeless shelter since late autumn.
A Witness Says The Stabbing Was Sparked By A Dispute Over Alcohol: ‘He Protected Me’
In an announcement to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), an unidentified “friend” of the sufferer shared her facet of the story.
She alleged that, whereas she and the 59-year-old had been smoking a cigarette outdoors the shelter, the group approached them and tried to take their alcohol. However, after the sufferer instructed the kids to stop accosting them, the witness says that issues escalated.
“He protected me,” she recalled, noting that the women proceeded to assault him.
“Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding. I didn’t know if they had a knife or what. I was just scared. I think they stabbed his belly…I didn’t know he would die.”
All 8 Girls Face Second-Degree Murder Charges
Now, the kids have been charged with second-degree homicide. They initially appeared in court docket on Sunday, and their subsequent look is reportedly scheduled for Dec. 29.
People with any helpful info on the case are implored to contact authorities at 416-808-7400. Additionally, folks can stay nameless by contacting Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).