Police Name Underage Suspect in Fatal Shooting Outside Toronto School

Police vehicles at the scene of a shooting outside the Woburn Collegiate Institute in Toronto on Oct. 31, 2022. (Courtesy of Nazia Khan)

Editor’s note: This article was updated on Nov. 4 to remove the name of the suspect. Police initially took the unusual step of releasing the name of the underage suspect as they were searching for him, but the suspect has now been taken into custody, which means the suspect’s photograph and his name can no longer be published under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Toronto Police took the unusual step of going to court for permission to publicly identify the 17-year-old suspect in a deadly shooting that killed 18-year-old Jefferson Peter Shardeley Guerrier in front of Woburn Collegiate Institute.

The police are seeking the public’s help in finding the suspect, who is wanted on charges of second-degree murder. He is considered armed and dangerous, according to police.

A letter sent home to parents by Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute principal Anthony Hack said that Guerrier attended the school from 2017 to 2022 and participated in the skateboarding club and band. Lester Pearson school is four kilometres away from the Woburn high school.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting on Oct. 31 outside the high school in Scarborough. A 15-year-old victim also suffered gunshot wounds and is reported in stable condition in hospital.

A blurry 43-second eyewitness video, said to be taken at the time of the shooting, shows a number of students milling about outside, shouting and laughing at what looks like an incident in the parking lot. One student wearing light-coloured clothing is seen walking backward, moving away from three others wearing dark clothing.

There is some shouting, then gunfire rings out, and people start screaming and running.

The Judicial approval for the suspect’s name and photograph to be published expires on Nov. 7 at 12 p.m. ET, or on his arrest, whichever occurs first. Usually, the Youth Criminal Justice Act precludes police from identifying an underage suspect, but a judge ruled the police can temporarily publish the information in an attempt to apprehend the suspect.