Crossbow slaying suspect is victim's son

The man charged with killing 52-year-old Si Chengby shooting him witha bolt from a crossbow inside a Toronto library is the victim's son, CBC News has learned.

Zhou Fang, 24, of Ottawa, was arrested shortly after the slaying Thursday and has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his father, who lived in Toronto.

Cheng was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses said that they saw a man approach Cheng, who was sitting on a bench in the library, and pepper-spray him. He was then shot, either in the face or the back, witnesses said.

Police officers saw a man run north on Main Street after the shooting. He jumped into a U-Haul rental truck and drove off. Police tracked the truck and arrested the driver.

Although the father-son relationship has been confirmed to CBC News, police have not released any information on a motive.

"It was not a random attack," said Toronto police spokesman Const. Tony Vella.

The news came as a surprise to Gerard Legault, who lives in the same Ottawa apartment building as Fang.Legault last sawFang in the elevator abouta week ago, but said Fangkept to himself.

"Just a quiet person, doesn't say hello, doesn't say much he's on his own," Legault said.

"I don't know if he has any family there, he's new in the building."

It's believed to be the first time a crossbow has been used in a homicide in Toronto.

Fang appeared in Ontario Court of Justice at College Park on Friday morning and was remanded in custody until Dec. 8.