Police lay manslaughter charge in Toronto boy's death

A 17-year-old male who has been accused of manslaughter in Monday's shooting death of a 15-year-old Toronto boyis devastated, as the victim was a good friend, his lawyer says.

Toronto police laid a charge of manslaughter against a 17-year-old male, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, in the death of St. Aubyn Rodney, 15, in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood.

Police identified the shootingvictim in a press conference Wednesday,after obtaining consent from his parents to do so.

The 17-year-old's lawyer told CBC News on Wednesday that he believes the shooting was accidental. The accused has been remanded into custody until his bail hearing next week.

St. Aubyndied after sufferinga gunshot wound to the stomach in a Toronto Community Housing Building located at 40 Turf Grassway. The boy had been "in the company of several of his friends," said Det. Mike Carbone of the Toronto police homicide squad.

"At some pointa firearm was produced, and the deceased young man was shot," Carbone told reporters.

A 911 call was then placed and police responded to the building. Two young persons and an adult man were arrested as officers were arriving, Carbone said.

Charges were laid against a man and a second young person on Tuesday, but their charges are unrelated to the shooting investigation.

Police were investigating the possibility the shooting was accidental in nature, but Carbone saidthe charge of manslaughter "suggests that there was an unlawful act involved in the death of this individual."

He would not comment on the relationships between victim and those charged.

"I can say that the three were known to each other," he said.

Carbone was also reluctant to releasemany details on the events leading up to the shooting, as to not "taint" the information still being gathered from witnesses.

He calledfor anyone with any informationto contact the homicide squad.