A man is dead and a woman is in critical condition in hospital following a double shooting at a Markham strip mall late Thursday night.
Police were called to the plaza located near Laidlaw Boulevard and Highway 7 just after 11 p.m. for multiple reports of the sound of gunshots.
Once on scene, officers located the two victims in front of a noodle bar suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. The male victim was pronounced dead on scene while the female victim was taken to a trauma centre for treatment.
Police say that they are still working to formally identify the deceased.
“We don’t believe that there is a greater threat to the community or public safety,” Const. Laura Nicolle told reporters at the scene. “We do believe there may have been an element of this being targeted but until we have it determine who these people are we won’t know why or the intended target.”
A manager of the noodle bar that reviewed surveillance footage from the business told CP24 that it shows the victims getting out of a blue Lexus in the parking lot and walking toward the restaurant.
The footage then shows a single suspect on a motorcycle opening fire on both individuals before they reached the restaurant, the manager said.
Nicolle said that police have received some reports regarding a motorcycle that was seen fleeing the area at a high rate of speed following the shooting but do not have a further description at this time.
She said that right now investigators are canvassing the surrounding area for witnesses and possible surveillance footage. She said that police are also appealing to any drivers who may have been travelling along Highway 7 at the time of the shooting to come forward.
“Sometimes even small pieces of information can be of great assistance,” she said.