Police identify man who plunged to his death from balcony

Toronto police have identified a man who plunged to his death from an eighth-floor balcony downtown late Wednesday in the city’s latest homicide.

Ryan Williams, 38, of Toronto, fell from a balcony just before midnight at a highrise in the area of Church and Shuter streets, police said in a news release on Thursday.

Paramedics say they transported a man to a trauma centre. He was pronounced dead in hospital, according to police.

Williams is the city’s 24th homicide victim of the year.

Police have said a suspect fled the scene. He’s described as 38 to 40 years old, 5’8″ to 5’9″ tall. He was wearing a black hooded jacket, beige pants and black shoes, and goes by the alias “Justice.” 

Suspect
This man is a suspect in the killing. He fled the scene and is described as 38 to 40 years old, 5’8″ to 5’9″ tall. He was wearing a black hooded jacket, beige pants and black shoes. Police said the suspect goes by the alias ‘Justice.’ (Submitted by Toronto Police Service)

Investigators are searching for three people of interest in connection with the incident. 

The first person of interest is described as male, 5’10” wearing a black jacket, gray shirt, dark gray sweatpants, and black shoes with white soles.

The second person of interest is described as female, 5’6″, brown hair in a high bun, thin build, wearing black pants with white accents on the sides, red shoes with white soles, pulling a grocery trolley bag.

The third person of interest is described as female, 5’6″, with a thin build, dark hair, wearing a black jacket, white toque, black pants, and black shoes.

Ibby Albazz, who lives in a neighbouring apartment, said in the last few weeks there have been a series of disturbances inside and outside the unit.

“Yelling, door slamming, really loud arguments in the hallway, homeless people coming in and out at all hours of the night,” Albazz told CBC Toronto. 

“We’ve been feeling pretty uneasy about it.”

He said last night was relatively calm until about 11:30 p.m., when he heard doors slamming and loud voices coming from the unit.

“It was the same kind of stuff I’ve been hearing for the last few weeks so I wasn’t super concerned about it,” Albazz said.

But when he woke to see Toronto police at the building, Albazz said his fears about the goings-on at the unit were affirmed.

“I’m not surprised about it, we knew something was going to happen. We have been talking to management about it,” he said.

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