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This from the Toronto Police Service as of this past Saturday ...
... with this from the attached joint TPS-RCMP news release ...On Friday, February 21, 2020 the Toronto Police Service received multiple calls for a possible medical complaint at Sheppard Avenue East near Markham Road
It is reported that:
The victim, a woman, was walking eastbound along Sheppard Avenue East near Markham Road when she was attacked by a man armed with a hammer. She succumbed to her injuries.
The victim has been identified as Hang-Kam Annie Chiu, age 64, of Scarborough.
The accused, Saad Akhtar, age 30, of Scarborough, turned himself in at 42 Division. He was charged with:
1) First-Degree Murder ...
... and this from MSM:The Toronto Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Policeare providing an update to the news release that was issued about Homicide 11/2020 (GO# 2020-372105) onSaturday, February 22, 2020.
During the investigation, evidence was discovered which led investigators to believe the homicide may have been a terrorist-related offence.In line with existing protocols, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) was contacted and investigative assistance was requested.
After consulting with federal and provincial Crown Attorneys and with consents from the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Attorney General of Canada, Saad Akhtar appeared in court, for a second time, at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.
The charge has now been updated to:
1.First-Degree Murder –Including Terrorist Activity, invoking Section 231 (6.01) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
While the investigation, and prosecution, will be a collaborative effort between Toronto Police Service Homicide and INSET Toronto, the public can be assured this appears to be an isolated incident and there is no further known threat to the public associated to the accused at this time ...
A hammer attack that killed a 64-year-old woman in Toronto on Feb. 21 has been linked by police to terrorism, with the alleged murderer now facing a terrorism-related charge.
Saad Akhtar, 30, was already facing a first-degree murder charge over the apparently random killing of the woman, attacked by a man with a hammer on Friday evening.
But on Tuesday, prosecutors updated charge to “murder – terrorist activity.” The charge applies to a murder “if the act or omission constituting the offence also constitutes a terrorist activity.”
The RCMP and Toronto police said in a joint news release the attack “appears to be an isolated incident and there is no further known threat to the public associated to the accused at this time.”
The victim has been identified by police as Hang-Kam Annie Chiu. She was walking on Toronto’s Sheppard Ave. East near Markham Rd. when she was attacked at around 7 p.m.
The accused’s mother told Global News she had no idea who the victim was, calling Chiu “a stranger” to the family and her son.
Akhtar turned himself in to the Toronto Police Service’s 42 Division following the attack.
“As part of our investigation into the homicide, we came across evidence that lead us to believe there may be a terrorism-related offence,” said Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray.
Police then contacted the RCMP-led Integrated National Security Enforcement Team in Toronto, which probes terrorism cases.
“And that’s what’s brought us to today where the updated charge was laid in court this morning,” said Gray ...