Police Made Arrest In Connection With Shootout In Downtown Toronto Condo And ‘gang war’ Kidnapping Seeking For A Suspect

The suspected leader of a Toronto area gang has been arrested in Montreal during a traffic stop and two other members are being pursued by police in connection with the alleged kidnapping, torture and assault of two teenage members of a rival gang.

You may recall hearing about a gang shootout inside a downtown Toronto condo building in April which began in the early hours of Monday, April 18.

Police say members of the ‘Young Buck Killers’ gang were hosting a party early on April 19 at a unit on the 25th floor of an Airbnb-rented condo building at near Front Street and Blue Jays Way.

Members of the rival gang Queen’s Drive Crips came to the building to crash the party the Young Buck Killers were hosting inside the unit. Security footage released by Toronto police shows the gang members opening fire as the elevator doors open. Four people are seen exiting the elevator and then running back into the elevator with guns drawn.

Later the same day after fleeing from the scene of the party, some gang members agreed to reunite at a townhouse on Swansea Mews in the city’s west end. Two 17-year-old boys who were at the party allegedly “tipped off” members of the rival gang about the location of the party involved with the Queens Drive Crips and were kidnapped when they arrived at a Swansea Mews townhouse complex that police allege is associated with the Young Buck Killers.

Investigators said the victims were tied to a chair, beaten and forced to play Russian Roulette using a loaded handgun and were also forced to perform sexual acts.

They were also taken to two other addresses in the Lawrence Heights area and once again tied and beaten.

The two victims were released on April 21, three days later, when a ransom demand was eventually made to the boys’ families which was paid. Police were notified and began investigating.

On April 23, police arrested Quinton Gardiner, 19, one of the Young Bucks’ leaders. He was charged with kidnapping for ransom.

As part of the investigation, they arrested and charged three other suspects and found a loaded handgun in the home.

Two men and a 17-year-old suspect are facing nine charges including kidnapping for ransom, assault with a weapon, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and three weapon offences.

Police are still looking for two people in connection with the kidnapping, one as 23-year-old Lincoln Anthony Richards and have issued a Canada-wide warrant.