Posted on 12/17/2004 6:38:33 AM PST by Clive
THE YOUNG people responsible for the wave of swarmings and violent attacks that have left three GTA teens dead in two weeks are "out of control and accountable to no one," Toronto's police chief said last night. "Counting the bodies as we do is simply not adequate," Julian Fantino said last night after a community meeting at East York Collegiate Institute, the school Drew Stewart attended before his death at the hands of a youth mob.
"We have to find out why, at the most minor confrontation, weapons are brought out. Why there's this pack mentality," Fantino said, stressing that the large majority of kids are still hardworking, upstanding citizens who do not deserve to be "blackballed."
"But there's an element of young people that are, in fact, out of control and accountable to no one," Fantino said.
"And there is a distorted value system among them that says coming forward (to police or their parents) is not cool."
The chief spoke just hours after a mob of at least 30 teens armed with rakes, golf clubs, sticks and baseball bats attacked six students behind a Scarborough high school.
Three of the students were taken to Scarborough Grace hospital after the 1:46 p.m. attack in a large wooded area behind the Finch Ave. and Brimley Rd. school. Their injuries were not life threatening.
"We've never had anything like this happen before," said Francis Libermann Catholic high school principal Tracey Parish. "It's unbelievable."
Toronto Catholic District School Board spokesman Emmy Milne said the six students, all in Grades 10 and 11, were returning from lunch when they were swarmed.
"They were off school property but they were assaulted by a large group of young people, and at this point, it's not clear where these young people are from," Milne said.
The rest of the students were dismissed early for the day while police searched the area.
The York Region Police helicopter searched the woods while patrols scoured teen hangouts and Internet cafes for suspects. Investigators said there have been no arrests.
The attack came 24 hours after an unrelated swarming in Brampton on Wednesday in which two teens were stabbed and another bludgeoned.
Between 10 and 15 teens attacked the three victims -- two age 18 and another age 17. The victims are listed in stable condition and their injuries are not life-threatening, said Peel Regional Police.
STABBED
Police arrested four teen suspects and are still searching for at least six others.
Other altercations this month proved deadly.
Tanner Hopkins, 18, was stabbed to death just after 1 a.m. on Saturday when he attempted to eject two uninvited guests from his younger brother's house party.
Earlier Saturday night, Nabil Saleh, 19, died after being stabbed during an argument in a College St. and Spadina Ave. nightclub.
Brad Fraser, 18, was shot to death last Friday in his basement apartment in an Oshawa roominghouse. Police charged a man in the shooting, which they say was the result of a home-invasion robbery.
Drew Stewart, 16, was fatally stabbed Dec. 3 while trying to stop a group of teens assaulting a pregnant pal.
"There's an element of young people out here who seem to be very much into crime and violence," he said.
But Fantino stressed the vast majority of teens are good, hardworking citizens.
sounds like a scene from the Wanderers.
Your off the cuff smart alecky comment is actually very real.
Greeks in northern Greece have been plauged by Albanians crossing the border in order to rob. They have had no compuction about killing any ocupants found in a house.
One homeowner killed an armed intruder and was himself charged with manslaugher. AFter that any such robber who was shot was simply dumped by the side of the road somewhere AWAY from the scene.
Every now and then police find on the side fo a road a dead body of what they believe is an albanian.
Maybe they are in training for seal season.
I think the next step for Canada will be the banning of all arms.
Arms enable people to commit crimes. No arms, no crimes.
Canada: soon to be filled with people who have no arms.
(although they can still kick you.... BAN legs, too!!!)
A nice bunch of "lads" aren't they?
Your off the cuff smart alecky comment is actually very real.
Say what you will about my post which seems to offend you, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it and my comment is very genuine.
Only a certifiable idiot would stand by and allow an obviously dangerous intruder to break into the house... threaten his or her life, allow their children to be threatened etc.
Risking one's life because the bureaucracy says its PC is just plain stupid.
It is called liberalism!
Video games kill!
Arms enable people to commit crimes. No arms, no crimes.
Canada: soon to be filled with people who have no arms.
(although they can still kick you.... BAN legs, too!!!)
LOL - too funny
"And maybe pillows while we're at it...they smother people."
Hands, too, definitely...since they do all the killing.
And minds--lets register the minds -- since that's where hate crimes originate. =)
"Calgary is home to over 80,000 American citizens..."
Wow, I didn't know that! That's about how many American citizens live in all of Spain!
Oh yes, I forgot hands and minds!
Wait, aren't they already registered at birth?
8^)
I blame Bush and it's clear that they need more gun control laws.
Damn, we were going for the record. We were 33 posts into a thread on TGWN and no one had mentioned W.
I'm so sorry, I guess I just lost count
Of course, it's all W's fault. The dominant political philosophy in Canada is "We're not Americans, eh?" It makes it completely unnecessary to address any problems with Canada, eh?
Heh, heh...you're right!
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