Toronto police’s homicide unit is investigating the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a downtown apartment late Wednesday night.
Police said they were called to Church and Shuter streets at around 11:58 p.m. for an unknown trouble call.
Toronto police are pictured at a rental building near Church and Shuter streets Thursday April, 25, 2024, a day after someone died following a fall from a balcony there. (CTV News Toronto)
“It was reported that a male fell from a height and landed on some scaffolding. Police, fire and paramedics attended and located the male,” Det.-Sgt. Henri Marsman told reporters Thursday afternoon.
The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He has been identified as 38-year-old Ryan Williams.
Marsman said prior to the fall, there was an altercation inside the unit where Williams resided with his mother.
Ryan Williams is Toronto’s 24th homicide victim of 2024. (Toronto Police Service)
“We’re still trying to determine how the victim came off the apartment,” he said, adding that the incident is being investigated as a homicide. It is unknown what the altercation was about.
Investigators are looking for a suspect who goes by the street name “Justice” and is described as between 30 and 40 years old, five-foot-eight to five-foot-nine, last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, beige pants and black shoes.
Marsman said the suspect and victim were “casual acquaintances” but did not elaborate further on their relationship.
He added that the suspect fled the apartment with three other people after the victim fell. Police are also seeking those three individuals considered persons of interest in the case.
One is described as a five-foot-ten male last seen wearing a black jacket, a grey shirt, dark grey sweatpants and black shoes with white soles.
The second person of interest is a five-foot-six female with a thin build, brown hair in a high bun, wearing black pants with white accents on the sides, red shoes with white soles, and pulling a grocery trolley bag.
The third is believed to be a five-foot-five female with a thin build and dark hair and she had a black jacket with a white toque, black pants and black shoes.
Police are looking for the suspect (left) and three persons of interest wanted in a homicide investigation in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, April 24. 2024. (TPS)
“I believe this is an isolated incident,” Marsman said.
“The suspect and the persons of interest are urged to contact a lawyer and then contact us.”
He noted that the victim’s mother was in the apartment at the time of the incident.
Asked how she was doing, Marsman said, “Obviously, she’s distraught. We’ve offered her victim services, and she’s with one of her other family members.”