🛡️ Watch the Block: Scarborough Homicide Marks 15th Killing of 2025 in Toronto

Jordan Thompson, 33, found shot dead on June 9 near Cedar Drive and Eglinton East—Toronto’s 15th homicide of 2025—underscores how violence is increasingly intruding into everyday spaces.

June 17, 2025 Alwin Editorial 0

“Watch the Block” is GTA Weekly’s weekly public safety column across the GTA — because safer communities begin with informed engagement. — A Toronto Police cruiser parked outside a commercial building — image symbolizes broader regional law enforcement across the GTA

TORONTO — On the evening of June 9, Toronto police responded to gunfire at Cedar Drive and Eglinton Avenue East. They found 33-year-old Jordan Thompson suffering from a fatal gunshot wound and declared him dead at the hospital. Police describe the shooting as targeted and say multiple suspects are still at large.

Thompson’s death marks Toronto’s 15th homicide of 2025, and it stands as a stark reminder: violence isn’t confined to high-crime zones—it’s emerging in places people expect to be safe.

A Targeted Killing, A Community Left in Fear

Scarborough residents have told media that gunfire erupted outside a busy plaza, where people go for everyday errands—coffee, groceries, catch-ups. One local said:

“His hands were shaking … I didn’t even think someone got shot”.

Police have since arrested 24‑year‑old Jelani DeJonge‑Reece, charged with second-degree murder, and are actively seeking a second suspect, 31‑year‑old Tamah McLean, via a Canada-wide warrant.

What This Tells Us

Ordinary places are no longer safe. When drive-thrus, plaza sidewalks, and commuter hotspots become murder scenes, trust erodes fast.
Invisibility isn’t innocence. Residents report seeing police and patrols, yet these killings still happen.
Criminals stay a step ahead. The fact that suspects remain on the run shows adaptive and persistent threats in everyday life.

What Action We Must Demand

Visible deterrence: Increase ground-level patrols in Scarborough and similar city hubs—especially around plazas and transit.
Targeted storefront outreach: Partner with plaza owners and businesses for CCTV upgrades, guard training, and safety planning.
Rapid intel sharing: Set up a crime hot‑report line for residents to submit CCTV or dashcam footage with guaranteed anonymity and timely response.

Leaving No Space Untouched

Toronto’s homicide count may still be lower than other major cities—but when killings happen in plain view, it speaks to a broader shift: violence mingling with daily life.

If public safety remains limited to high-crime “zones,” it will always be one step behind those who bring guns to groceries, parks, and promenades.

Protecting our communities means protecting the spaces we all share—not just the ones we fear.

🛡️ “Watch the Block” is GTA Weekly’s weekly editorial series on community safety. Stay informed — safer streets start with informed communities. Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more stories that matter. #GTAWeekly #GTAToday #WatchTheBlock

About Alwin 15309 Articles

Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., publisher of GTA Weekly News. He oversees all editorial content and leads the publication’s mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area. He can be reached at alwin.squire@gtaweekly.ca.