A man was shot dead in North York early Wednesday morning in Toronto’s 89th homicide of the year. The killing matches a tragic record: The city has now seen more homicides in 2018 than in any year since 1991, with six weeks remaining in the year. Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, police responded to reports of approximately 10 gunshots in Toronto’s Humberlea neighbourhood.Police say they discovered the victim, whom they said appeared to be in his 20s, without vital signs inside a car at Ann Arbour Rd. and Lovilla Blvd., near Weston Rd. and Hwy. 401. The man was suffering obvious signs of trauma from gunshot wounds, said Toronto police spokesperon Katrina Arrogante. He was transported by paramedics to Sunnybrook hospital, where he died, she said.Police are awaiting information from the homicide unit before identifying the victim, Arrogante said. She also confirmed police have arrested one man in his mid-20s, but could provide no further updates on suspects or the circumstances of the shooting. A homicide investigation is ongoing, she said.2018’s total of 89 homicides matches the record set in 1991. This year has also seen the highest per capita rate of killings since 1991, which saw 3.8 homicides per 100,000.In 2018, the city has so far maintained a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000.That rate is ahead of any other year this millennium. It was 2.2 per 100,000 last year and in 2005 and 2007, two other years that saw notable spikes in violence, it was 3.0 and 3.2, respectively.The homicide total comes in a year that saw a surge in gunfire, some of it unleashed in crowded public spaces. In June, two men were gunned down on Queen St. near Peter St. during the early evening of a busy Canada Day long weekend. The following month, an 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were killed when gunman Faisal Hussain opened fire along Danforth Ave., before turning the gun on himself. The Yonge St. van attack in April partially accounts for the surge in hom ...
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