Eight teenage girls have been charged with second-degree after a 59-year-old man was stabbed to death in Toronto.
According to officials, local police responded to a call for assault near University Avenue and York Street shortly after midnight and found the man with life-threatening injuries after a group of people flagged them down. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but passed away shortly afterward. His identity has not been disclosed as his next of kin has not yet been notified.
In the investigation, police learned that the victim was stabbed after being assaulted by a group of teen girls; they were later arrested nearby; a number of weapons were also recovered, though they have not disclosed what they are. While their names can’t be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, police have revealed that three of the teens are 13, three are 14, and two are 16.
It’s believed that the group met on social media. They have all been charged with second-degree murder and appeared in court on Sunday. They were subsequently remanded into custody and are due again in court on Thursday, December 29, according to Detective Sergeant Terry Browne.
He also revealed in the police news conference that the girls had been in the area by 10:30 pm and had allegedly gotten involved in an argument with the 59-year-old man prior to the attack. He also described the teens as “swarming”, a behavior in which a group of three or more victimizes a single target.
According to witnesses, the man was talking to another individual when the teen girls approached him. Investigators believe that there may have been an attempted theft during the initial encounter—one that likely involved a bottle of liquor. However, they have not expanded on it as they are currently still investigating.
