Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jul 2005
Source: Mississauga News (CN ON)
Copyright: The Mississauga News 2005
Contact:  http://www.mississauganews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/268
Author: Louie Rosella

SHOOTING VICTIM IDENTIFIED

Police Hunt For Killer

The execution-style killing of a man in the parking lot of Square One 
yesterday is believed to be a drug-related shooting, sources close to the 
investigation say.

Peel Regional Police homicide detectives revealed few details about the 
shooting, which occurred just before noon near the main entrance and sent 
shockwaves through the popular mall.

But a well-placed source said the preliminary stages of the investigation 
"has all the inklings of a drug-related homicide."

Late last night the victim was identified as 30-year-old Mauricio Castro of 
Mississauga.

Although Peel Police took at least three men into custody following the 
shooting, two of whom were taken down by tactical officers on a Mississauga 
Transit bus, Homicide Inspector Jennifer Evans said last night there have 
been no arrests made and the suspects are still "outstanding."

The gunman is described as black, 6-foot-2, wearing dark clothing, police said.

One witness said he saw the shooter flee into the covered parking garage 
south of Wal-Mart.

"I heard shots. They sounded like fire crackers, and then I saw a guy 
running into the parking lot holding something underneath his shirt," said 
the witness, who was waiting outside Wal-Mart for his friend when the 
shooting occurred. "There were all kinds of people and small children near 
the area where the gun went off. I was like a few feet from it."

Police interviewed witnesses for several minutes, and sent police dogs from 
the canine unit into the parking lot and surrounding area.

Witnesses said the victim was in a Ford SUV just before noon outside of the 
TD Canada Trust bank when three men walked up to the vehicle, one of them 
firing at least four shots that shattered the driver's side window.

Ron Blanchet, a sales clerk at Tilley Endurables in the mall, said he'd 
just stepped outside when he saw the victim lying on the road beside the SUV.

"He wasn't moving, his feet were facing the open door. There was a wound of 
some sort to the head, and blood was coming down his shoulders. The police 
hadn't come yet. Three mall security guards were tending to him," said 
Blanchet, 62.

Peel Paramedics arrived and rushed Castro to Trillium Health Centre.

Police confirmed he died in the early afternoon.

A reliable source said Castro suffered one gunshot wound to the head and 
three to the upper body.

Officers and paramedics were having trouble identifying the bloodied victim 
since his wallet was missing, the source said.

Blanchet's daughter, Amber, arrived at Square One yesterday morning to meet 
her father. She said she missed the shooting by mere seconds.

"It's actually quite scary," she said. "I usually read my book and walk at 
the same time, but I'm not going to do that around this mall anymore. Will 
someone see that I'm distracted and try to rape or kill me?"

Transit Shoes employee Robinson Fernandez, 19, said his friend witnessed 
the murder and saw a silver car pull up beside the SUV before a gunman 
jumped out and shot Castro.

"It makes it hard for me to come back to work everyday knowing my life is 
in danger," he said, adding violence near Square One claimed the lives of 
one of his friends and injured another in the last two years. "This was a 
deliberate hit."

Forensic officers were dusting several cars near the crime scene for 
fingerprints, including a silver Hyundai Sonata and silver Honda Civic.

Police closed off much of the front parking lot of the mall searching for 
clues. Officers are also reviewing mall surveillance video.

This is the second violent crime to plague the city centre in less than a week.

Friday afternoon, a 17-year-old male stabbed a boy two years his junior 
near the corner of Rathburn Rd. and City Centre Dr. in a fight that started 
because the accused gave the victim "dirty looks," police said.

The accused stabbed the victim once in the abdomen with a silver pocket 
knife, leaving the 15-year-old with a two-centimetre wide gash.

He was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Trillium Health Centre 
in Mississauga.

The accused, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was 
charged with assault causing bodily harm and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Anyone with information on yesterday's murder is asked to call the force's 
Homicide Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 3205.
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