Family in shock after police shooting on Toronto streetcar

A family is in shock after a police shooting left a young man dead on a Toronto streetcar this weekend.

Sammy Yatim was shot just after midnight on Friday, following an alleged altercation with police.

Initial reports indicated that police had been responding to a call about a man with a knife on the streetcar near Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street, at the time of the shooting.

Yatim was taken to a downtown hospital with a gunshot wound. He was soon pronounced dead.

The victim's sister, Sarah, confirmed that Yatim was the young man killed on the streetcar and said that her family was in shock over what happened.

Sammy Yatim was 18 years old at the time of his death. His family moved to Toronto from Syria about five years ago.

The slain man’s friends have posted their condolences on Facebook and Twitter.

The circumstances of the shooting are now being probed by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit.

The SIU investigates all incidents involving police in which death or serious injury occur, or when allegations of sexual assault are raised.