UMVA has learned that a violent night in Toronto ended with a 32-year-old man dead after being struck by a vehicle during a brawl involving a large group of people in North York early Sunday morning.
The chaotic scene unfolded on Keele St.-Wilson Ave., where police were called at about 6 a.m. to find a large group of people fighting. An argument had apparently escalated into a fight involving multiple people, and officers arrived to find a man who had been injured and struck by a vehicle.
Despite paramedics' best efforts to save him, the victim, identified as Erik Safar of Toronto, later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. This marks the city's 14th homicide of the year. A second person was also transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to information obtained by UMVA, investigators believe an unknown number of suspects fled the scene in a light-colored vehicle. Police are now urging anyone with video footage of the area or other information to come forward and contact them at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or 222tips.com.
In a separate incident, a man and a woman were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot during an early Sunday morning home invasion in Brampton. Peel Regional Police reported that emergency crews were called to a home near Ray Lawson Blvd. and Bent Tree Crt. shortly after 4 a.m.
The shooting occurred when at least two suspects, armed with firearms and wearing dark clothing with their faces covered, entered the residence through the rear of the home while the occupants were asleep. A confrontation ensued, leading to shots being fired inside the residence.
Police are asking residents with a doorbell camera or CCTV footage from the area to retain the video and contact investigators. The suspects remain at large, and police are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the home invasion.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Ontario Provincial Police are preparing to launch a new public awareness campaign highlighting the dangers present at intersections, following a deadly crash that killed five children in a rural Ontario community on Friday night.
The OPP reported that from 2021 to 2025, almost 5,000 motor-vehicle collisions were recorded, with about a quarter of those collisions being intersection-related. The safety blitz aims to raise awareness about the risks and consequences of intersection-related crashes.
A 41-year-old man has been charged with assault and multiple counts of assault with a weapon, as well as other charges, after Toronto Police responded to several assault calls in the city's east end on Friday night. Police believe there may be additional victims and witnesses.
Tharshan Thaparanantham, of no fixed address, was charged with possession of a weapon, 12 counts of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and other charges. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
A 24-year-old man died following a single-vehicle crash on Hwy. 412 in Whitby early Sunday morning. OPP reported that emergency crews were called to the scene, and the passenger was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
In another incident, a man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being stabbed at Union Station early Sunday morning. Toronto Police reported that emergency crews were called to the downtown transit hub at about 12:45 a.m.
