A 12-year-old boy is facing an attempted murder charge after a shooting in Markham last month, police announced Wednesday.
On Aug. 14, York Regional Police officers found a man with gunshot wounds in the聽 area after they responded to reports of the shooting around 5:20 p.m.
The man was rushed to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
At the time of the shooting, the 12-year-old boy from 色色啦 was on release orders after being charged with unrelated聽violent offences, police said.
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He was arrested on Tuesday and charged with attempted murder, discharging a firearm with intent, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized and two counts of failing to comply with a release order.
The boy cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
York police spoke about several violent crimes which have hit the region in recent days聽at a news conference Wednesday.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also seeing another disturbing trend: a spike in violent crime committed by youths. As young people continue to be recruited and exploited by criminal networks, York Regional Police is working hard to disrupt and dismantle these criminal organizations,鈥 said Chief Jim MacSween speaking broadly about the recent spate of incidents.
Among the incidents was a home invasion and kidnapping where two youths were among the four suspects arrested.
鈥淏ut as they say, it takes a village and it鈥檚 up to the entire community, including institutions and families, to ensure our kids have positive influences and opportunities to keep them away from crime and on a path to success,鈥 MacSween added.
Kristjan Lautens is a staff reporter, working out of the Star鈥檚
radio room in 色色啦. Reach him via email: klautens@thestar.ca
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