Toronto man charged with murder, weapons offences

A 21-year-old Toronto man has been charged with first-degree murder alongside several other charges linked to a fatal North York shooting earlier this year and a second shooting incident last month.

In a news release issued Thursday, police said the first-degree murder charge is linked to the death of 23-year-old Toronto man Marsell Bryan, who was found with a gunshot wound in the Cherokee Boulevard and Finch Avenue E.area on the morning of June 27.

Bryan was later taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Toronto police investigators say thatofficers executed search warrants at four addresses and on one vehicle on Wednesday. A 21-year-old Toronto man was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.

Police say that same man has also been charged in connection with a separate shooting incident that happened on Aug. 25, where a 25-year-old man was shot at 134 Jamestown Cres.in Rexdale. The victim in that case was taken to hospital and later released.

The man facing the murder charge is now also facing charges connected to that incident,including discharging a firearm with intent to wound and possessing a loaded regulated firearm.

At a news conference Thursday,Det. Sajeev Nairsaid police believe these incidents were targeted.

"These incidents are not random," Nair said.

Investigators also allege that while carrying out the search warrants linked to the case, officers found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with an over-capacity magazine, and a Romanian Variant AK-47 rifle with a high-capacity magazine, which police believe was used in the Aug. 25 incident.

The man also faces several other charges linked to those weapons, including unauthorized possession of a prohibited device or ammunition.

He was scheduled to appear in court Thursday.