Police identify victim in Bay Street murder

Toronto police have identified the city's latest murder victim as 32-year-old Shane Kelter of Vancouver.

Police responded to a shooting call at a condo building at 1001 Bay Street, near Wellesley Street West, at 3:20 a.m. on Sunday.

A number of shots were fired and Kelter was struck in the torso.

Lia Messina was one of a number of horrified witnesses.

"I think it was 5 or 6 (shots). I was in too much shock to count," she said.

Paramedics rushed the victim to a nearby trauma unit, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police say Kelter and a number of friends had just been dropped off outside the building by a white stretch limousine. When they got out, the shooter was waiting for them.

"It appears at this time that the victim was targetted," said Detective Graham Gibson of the Toronto Police Service.

Gibson said police are looking for the drivers of one or two white limousines and are asking any other witnesses to come forward.

Police recovered a hand gun near Queen's Park Crescent & Hoskin Avenue that may be linked to the shooting.

Kelter is well-known to police. Last year he was one of six Canadians to face charges in California following a two-year investigation into a massive drug-smuggling operation involving marijuana, cocaine and ecstacy. The operation involved moving drugs between B.C., Ontario and California.

It is alleged that Mr. Kelter assisted Jason I. Ming Wei, the supposed kingpin of the operation, in smuggling drugs between Canada and the United States.

In May 1998, Mr. Kelter was also charged in relation to the discovery of an ecstacy-manufacturing operation. He is also said to be linked to the Independent Soldiers, one of B.C.'s most well-known gangs.

This is Toronto's 53rd homicide of the year, and the 8th this month.