TORONTO — Police say three masked men entered a Toronto apartment building early Tuesday morning and shot a pregnant woman and her boyfriend as they lay in bed while two children slept in another room.
The couple is recovering in hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries and the woman's fetus wasn't harmed, said Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, calling the incident a targeted attack.
He said the three men entered the couple's apartment in the city's north west without having to force open the door.
The 20-year-old woman, who police said was 11 weeks pregnant, was shot multiple times in the chest, Taverner said. Her 23-year-old boyfriend was hit in the hand and thigh.
"These people could be dead," Taverner said. "Their children could have been in bed with them — there's a lot of different things that could have happened here."
Police believe that the shooting was retaliatory in nature.
Taverner said police arrested the 23-year-old boyfriend in hospital because he's wanted for attempted murder in an alleged home invasion and shooting as well as for other unspecified charges.
"There are indications that gang members were involved on both sides of this particular investigation," Taverner alleged.
He said the suspects were wearing masks and dark clothing and fled shortly after the incident, which occurred around 1:30 a.m.
Officers are checking security footage from the apartment buildings in the hopes of figuring out the identities of the shooters.
"There are a number of cameras and they have been helpful," he said.
Taverner said he was disgusted at what he called a lack of respect for human life on the part of the alleged shooters.
Brennan Doherty, The Canadian Press
