Toronto has seen a stark spike in youth crime rates in 2024 — with almost every metric for serious gun violence up significantly.
From a 15-year-old who was gunned down outside a west-end plaza just shy of his first week in Grade 11, to a 14-year-old boy facing first-degree murder charges for opening fire on a community gathering at an Etobicoke school, killing two — scenes of young people being both victims and perpetrators of violent crime are playing out on city streets all too often.
In all, 13 people under 18 have been charged with homicide so far this year, up from just three in 2023, according to police. Over the same period, the number of young people charged with firearms offences has shot up more than 50 per cent.
The usual “root causes”. Not enough money, not enough jobs for yutes.
