Toronto: Eight girls aged 16 and under have been charged with second-degree murder by Toronto police for stabbing a 59-year-old man in downtown the city.
The charges were announced by investigators at a news conference held at Toronto Police Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.
Toronto Police Homicide Squad Department Sergeant Terry Brown said that at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, several people called the Toronto Paramedics Services between York Street, University Avenue and Front Street West. Paramedics reported that someone had been attacked here, he said.
Brown said three of the charged girls had previous encounters with police, while the other five had not done any crime earlier. Of these, three girls are 13 years old, three are 14 years old and two are 16 years old.
Brown said the girls, aged between 13 and 16, met each other on social media and then gathered in downtown the city on Saturday night and they indulged in two clashes.
Paramedics were taking the injured person to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries during the treatment. The identity of this person has not been revealed yet.
Brown said the man had recently accessed Toronto’s shelter system and that his family was also present in the area to help him. The girls were arrested by the 52nd division officials from the spot and the police also found the weapons, he said.