TORONTO — A man accused of shooting a Toronto police officer in the city's busy midtown neighbourhood was charged with attempted murder Thursday, as the force and the province's police watchdog conducted parallel investigations.
Court documents indicate a man with the same name as the suspect was out on bail at the time of Wednesday's shooting after being charged with multiple counts of theft in a different municipality.
The incident that left a 29-year-old officer with serious but non-life-threatening injuries was part of a recent spate of gun violence in Canada's largest city. The first nine months of 2024 have already seen more shootings, and more deaths due to firearm violence, than in each of the past three years.
Wednesday's violence rattled residents in the lively Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood, which is bustling with condo developments, apartments, restaurants and retail stores.
The rush-hour shooting took place at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday while police were conducting a robbery investigation.
Police approached two people and one of them shot an officer before fleeing the area, the force alleged. The Special Investigations Unit, Ontario's police watchdog, said a second officer then discharged his firearm at the man who fled, but the man was not hit.
Two sources with knowledge of the investigation said the police officers were in plainclothes at the time, and they spotted and pulled over a vehicle allegedly involved in home robberies.
A man who got out of the vehicle shot at the officer and hit him in the abdomen, the sources said, before fleeing. Investigators found two bullet shells at the scene, the sources added.
The Special Investigations Unit is conducting its own probe because an officer fired a weapon. SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said the incident occurred in an underground parking garage and the alleged shooter was later arrested at Michael Garron Hospital in east Toronto.
Police said Thursday afternoon that they had charged 21-year-old Tibor Orgona in the shooting, as well as the robbery investigation. Orgona is facing several charges, including attempted murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm and three counts of robbery.
They also arrested and charged a 22-year-old woman and a 15-year-old in their robbery investigation.
Toronto Police Association president Jon Reid said the 29-year-old officer who was shot is recovering from his injuries.
"He's in good spirits and continues to be well supported by family and colleagues," Reid wrote in an email.
Court documents show a man with the same name as the suspected shooter was out on bail after being charged with multiple counts of theft and breach of probation among other offences in the Township of King last May.
Premier Doug Ford said Thursday that he's relieved the injured officer is being well-cared for, but criticized the bail system, calling on Ottawa for reform.
"The guy accused in this shooting should never have been out on bail. Enough is enough," Ford wrote in a social-media post. "The federal government needs to do its job and fix our broken bail system."
Wednesday's shooting came hours after the city's police chief had noted how gun violence in the city increased this year compared to last year.
Police statistics show there have been 338 shootings this year, compared to 242 last year. To date, there have been 35 gun-related deaths so far this year, compared to 24 last year.
"We must acknowledge the pain and trauma that families feel as a result of gun violence, and this pain impacts generations," Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw had said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
There was more than one deadly shooting this week alone.
On Monday morning, a shooting left a 42-year-old man dead in a plaza in the city's west end. And on Monday night, a 26-year-old man was found in a north Toronto parking lot with gunshot wounds. He later died in hospital.
Demkiw said the force has increased its presence in neighbourhoods most affected by gun violence, and police have made 746 firearm-related arrests so far this year.
The police chief also noted that police data indicate this year's figures are on par with pre-pandemic rates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.
— With files from Liam Casey.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press