Police west of Toronto are looking for the driver and occupants of a grey SUV as they investigate the fatal shooting of an “innocent” bystander outside a nightclub in Mississauga, Ont.
In a news conference Tuesday, Peel Regional Police said several rounds were fired at the crowd outside the Jungle Event Space in the early hours of Dec. 31, likely from a vehicle.
Nineteen-year-old Raneilia Richards of Toronto was one of about 100 people waiting to get inside the venue when she was hit by a bullet, they said.
“Raneilia was doing nothing more that night than being with her friends, intending to enjoy the evening, when her life was tragically taken away,” Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.
“She was not the intended target and was absolutely an innocent victim.”
Richards was a young woman with a bright future, a talented athlete and a beloved daughter, sister and friend, he said. Monday would have been her first day of college, he added.
Duraiappah said the suspects have shown an “absolute disregard” for the safety of anyone in a public place. “It’s an absolute miracle that there were not any more individuals injured or tragically killed,” he said.
No suspects have been identified at this time, and investigators are asking anyone with information or video related to the incident to come forward.
The chief said the Jungle club has voluntarily closed since the shooting. There has been a history of violent incidents at that location, which previously held a different nightclub, he said.