toronto policeThe Canadian Press

TORONTO: Three people are dead after two separate shootings in Toronto that saw students at several nearby schools forced to stay inside as a precaution.

The first shooting occurred around noon in the city’s northwest, killing two males police say were in their late teens.

Police say the shots rang out around noon in a parking lot near the School of Experiential Education, with that school and three others nearby immediately put into lockdown.

Then, around 3 p.m. _ moments after police announced lockdowns at the schools had been lifted _ a male in the city’s east end (near Regent Park) was fatally shot in the head and chest.

Four schools nearby are in hold and secure.

Police Supt. Ron Taverner said at this point the shooting in the northwest is believed to be targeted.

“As far as we’re aware right now there is no connection to the school. It just happened the victims went to the rear of the school from where the shooting is,” he told reporters at the scene.

“Certainly a very devastating thing to have happened here in the middle of the afternoon, and very close to two schools quite frankly.”

He said one person of interest had been taken into custody while a suspect was sought, but that no weapon had been recovered yet.

(The Canadian Press, Newstalk1010)

© 2014 The Canadian Press