2 arrested after gunshot victim found in car that fled, crashed

What started as a call about a concerning message ended with a man found suffering from a gunshot wound in a vehicle that fled police and crashed in Scarborough early Friday, Toronto police say.

Insp. Brian Maslowski said police initially gota call from an individual who reported a concerning message they received from a friend.

The message contained a photo threatening the victimwith a firearm, Maslowski said, adding that police were able to obtain a description of the vehicle.

Police tried to stop the vehicle in the area of Bellamy RoadN. andLawrence Avenue E.when it fled and then crashed in the area of Midland Avenue and McNicoll Avenue.

When police got to the vehicle, they found a man in his early 20swho had been shot, along with two suspects aged 17 and 19.

Maslowski did not comment on the relationship between the victim and the teenage suspects, or whether the episodecould have been an attempted abduction.

"As you can imagine, it is a complex investigation, so I can't share much," Maslowski said.

The victim was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, along with the two suspects and another driverwho was involved in the crash. That driver and the two suspects had minor injuries, Maslowski said.

Police saidthey also recovered two firearms from the vehicle.

A spokesperson for Ontario's Special Investigations Unit told CBCToronto they have been notified ofthe incident but will not be invoking their mandate.

The SIU is an independent agency that investigates police conduct in incidents that results in death, serious injury, the discharge of a firearm or allegations of sexual assault.