The man accused of last month’s Osgoode subway shooting has turned himself in to police.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Curt John surrendered himself at a northwest Toronto police station just after 11 p.m. last night. He was charged with 12 offences including attempted murder.
John allegedly fired three shots at a 19-year-old man on a crowded subway platform at University and Queen, injuring him in the thigh and abdomen. According to police, John and the victim boarded the subway at Downsview station on Jan. 22 and travelled together to Osgoode station, where they got into an argument before the suspect fired the shots.
Police identified the 21-year-old last Wednesday from video surveillance footage of him at Downsview and Osgoode stations. The footage was released the day after the incident.
“We received quite a few calls. The TTC security videos helped the public identify the suspect,” said office-in-charge, Detective Mark Shooter.
This is Toronto’s second subway shooting in less than a year.
The TTC announced last week that 36 police officers will be assigned to the subway system and high-risk bus routes beginning in May.
Security in subway stations is already getting a boost: plans are underway for video surveillance on subway cars, buses, and streetcars.
Responding to the attack, Toronto Mayor David Miller, reiterated his call for a nationwide ban on handguns. Last year, he launched an online petition for the proposed ban.
“Crime is down in general but the one thing we haven’t been able to get at is the guns,” Miller told The Varsity. “Toronto is a safe city, but we are not the city we should be if a third of guns used in crimes come from local sources.”
“I’m glad he surrendered. There’s enough gun violence in the city,” said U of T student Alice McDonald Miller.
John was already wanted in connection to several violent crimes, including a homicide last summer and a robbery in November. He is also believed to be responsible for a recent car theft.
He is scheduled to appear in court this morning.
