Man, 32, killed in brazen drive-by shooting in Toronto's west end

A 32-year-old man is dead after a brazen drive-by shooting in the city's west end.

Toronto police were called shortly before 10 a.m. to the Weston Road and Jane Street area for reports of gunfire. 

When officers arrived along the busy roadway, they discovered the driver inside a white car that was stopped in front of a row of houses. He was suffering from a gunshot wound. A single bullet hole had broken through the middle of the driver's side window. 

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, paramedics said. 

A second person was also inside the car during the daytime shooting, Det.-Sgt. Mike Patterson told reporters. The passenger wasn't injured.  

A team of forensic investigators placed a tent over the car in a hunt for evidence. The body of the driver was still inside, they said. Both the car and body have since been removed from the scene.  

"It's very brazen and quite disturbing," said Patterson, pointing out the timing is unusual. 

Homicide detectives believe the man was driving southbound on Weston Road when he was shot at several times from a light-blue SUV heading in the opposite direction. 

They are searching for the vehicle that sped off northbound. The SUV is described as a newer model. 

No other suspect information has been released, Patterson says, noting it's still early in the investigation.

"I can't say what the motive was at this point," he said. 

"There seems to be no rhyme or reason at this time why. People with guns are out and about at all times of day."  

A group of roofers were replacing the shingles on a home when they heard the crack of three gunshots. 

"They would've had a bird's eye view of the event," said Patterson. 

Long Nguyen lives across the street. He rushed outside after the shooting and told CBC Toronto he saw a roofer scramble down the ladder. He added that the white car never moved. 

Officers are canvassing the area for any security cameras or dashcam video that may have captured the spray of bullets.  

Homicide detectives are appealing for anyone with potential useful information to contact them. 

The male's death is the city's 65th homicide this year. According to Toronto police statistics, there have been more than 265 shootings. 

But this is the second shooting in the city today and news of it came only an hour before John Tory made a campaign announcement focused on community safety. If re-elected, he vowed to match the $25 million in funding to curb gun violence the Ontario government recently announced. 

Another man in his 30s was slain overnight near a Greektown sports bar — just one month after the area was rocked by a mass shooting.