Eight teen girls charged with killing homeless man in Toronto
FILE: A TPS vehicle. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
A group of teenage girls is accused of attacking and killing a homeless man on a Toronto street.
The Toronto Police Service says the incident took place just after midnight on Sunday in the area of York Street and University Avenue.
Three 13-year-old girls, three 14-year-old girls, and two 16-year-old girls allegedly assaulted and stabbed the 59-year-old victim.
He died at a nearby hospital after the attack. He had been living in the shelter system since recently coming on hard times, police said at a news conference.
Detective Sergeant Terry Browne updates details on a Toronto murder.
Detective Sergeant Terry Browne calls it a swarming incident at the Tuesday news conference. He said the girls had met on social media and are from various parts of the city.
It was unclear how long they had been communicating and police were unsure why they chose the time and place to meet.
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They say the same group had been involved in another altercation earlier in the evening. Three of the teens had prior contact with the police but it was unclear what happened in those incidents.
Police said that they recovered "numerous weapons" on the girls.
The girls are all still being held on second-degree murder charges after an initial court appearance on Sunday. Their names were not released due to their ages. They are due back in court on Dec. 29, 2022.
The victim's name was not released so that all of his relatives could be contacted first.