Pubdate: Wed, 27 Dec 2000
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  333 King St. E., Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada
Fax: (416) 947-3228
Website: http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSun/
Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/newsgroups.html
Author: Jonathan Jenkins

FIREARM KILLINGS HIT DRUG TRADE

Murderous Link

Gun-toting drug dealers be advised -- you could soon become a
statistic if you don't change your ways.

The percentage of murders in Toronto involving firearms continues to
track above the national average.

And, police say, most of those go hand in hand with
drugs.

"These are predominantly the types of shootings we're dealing with,"
homicide Det. Tony Smith said.

"Whether these are groups of individuals or gangs, firearms are a part
of life for these groups. "

Of the 58 homicides committed in Toronto so far this year, 25 were
committed with guns, or 43%.

Last year 38% of Toronto homicide victims died from gunfire.
Typically, one-third of Canadian homicides are committed with firearms.

Easy To Get

Smith attributes the higher firearm homicide rate in Toronto to the
city's size and the ease with which crooks can get their hands on guns.

One need only look to the United States --where guns are plentiful and
murders counted in the hundreds for cities Toronto's size -- to see
the dangers of readily available weaponry, he said.

"Obviously it's still a serious problem," Smith said of the spectre of
guns on Toronto streets.

"We'd have 23 live people today if it weren't for that."

Most of those weapons would be illegal ones smuggled into the country,
Smith said.

"It's an ongoing problem especially for the specialized units that are
dealing with getting them off the streets," the detective said.

"They're illegal and there's only one reason to have one and that's to
kill people."

The city also saw 13 people stabbed to death, four strangled, and nine
beaten to death.

Suicidal Mom

One tiny victim, Cuyler Killinger-Johnson, died after being hit by a
subway train. His mother was holding him when she jumped in the
train's path.

Gun killings also tend to be harder to solve for homicide detectives
- -- more than half of the 23 firearm homicides this year have seen no
one arrested.

A task force has been struck to look at six of those murders, all of
which happened in north Etobicoke.

Five of those killings have been linked to gang feuds.

All but one of the stabbing homicides have seen charges laid. Charges
have also been laid in four of the nine beating deaths this year.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake