Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://torontosun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Rob Lamberti, Toronto Sun FAILED TTC HIT TIED TO DRUGS Mall A Point For Deals? Detectives say they have an idea of who they're hunting for in the wild shooting spree that left two women injured near the entrance to the Yorkdale subway station. Police Chief William Blair yesterday said the men involved in the dinner-hour shooting Wednesday showed "reckless depravity." "We believe it to be drug related," he said, adding detectives are also working on launching a community-based anti-gang strategy, a model which proved successful in squashing two vicious Scarborough street gangs. The two women, 37 and 23, each were hit in a leg, while waiting outside the TTC station. The victims didn't know each other. Detectives believe they know which gang the shooter belonged to, but Blair refused to elaborate. "It is not, and it will not, be tolerated in the city of Toronto," he said. "We will be undertaking an anti-gun initiative in the very near future." Blair admitted it's difficult to provide assurances to people that the streets are safe after an incident like the one at Yorkdale. Detectives are reviewing a number of surveillance tapes to try to identify those involved. Shots were fired from a Toyota car parked near the station. The target was a man who had just exited from the auto's rear seat. The victim managed to dodge the bullets and fled by jumping onto a northbound train. The suspects drove off. The area where the shooting took place is near the upscale Yorkdale shopping mall, which draws about 14 million people a year. "Along with the overwhelming number of good people, you get a criminal element," 32 Division Det. Lino Murarotto said. "The gang bangers, the drug dealers, because they know it's a major transit point for the public, sometimes they do their business there. It's a huge focal point." TTC sources said the station has been flagged in the past for special attention by Special Constables. "What we think is happening, is that they're (drug dealers) going to public areas to meet, and it's putting people who are nearby in peril when things go wrong," Murarotto said. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin