East Toronto shooting victim was a ‘loving mother, daughter, cousin and niece,’ says her mother

A 34-year-old woman fatally shot inside of a home in Toronto’s east end on Sunday evening was a “loving mother, daughter, cousin and niece,” says her mother.

In a statement provided to CTV News Toronto, Veronica Brooks said her daughter, Alisha, was “vibrant, full of energy and truly lit up a room with her presence.”

“Her laugh was contagious,” Brooks said of her daughter, adding that she was “very passionate about her work with the youth and refugees.”

On Monday, police identified the victim as Toronto resident Alisha Brooks. She is Toronto’s 81st homicide victim of 2024.

Although she left a year ago, Brooks worked for two years at the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre.

The organization’s executive director says her former colleagues and clients are distraught by her tragic death.

“This is just terrible news and staff and clients of the program she supported are shocked and still processing this horrific event,” said Angela Robertson told CTV News Toronto.

She said Brooks was employed as an outreach worker for the CHEERS (Creating Hope Ensuring Excellence and Roads to Success) program, which provides community-based mentorship to Black youth.

The shooting happened inside a residence near Jones Avenue and Hunter Street, a few blocks south of Danforth Avenue, around 7 p.m. last night, said Acting Duty Insp. Todd Jocko.

Officers arrived at the scene, he said, and found a woman outside that building suffering from a gunshot wound.

Despite life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later, he said.

A suspect was arrested nearby and a gun was recovered.

Today, Toronto police also announced a charge of second-degree murder has been laid against 33-year-old Aaron Shea in connection with Brooks’ death. He was scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Monday.

The accused and the victim were in a relationship, police told CTV News Toronto in an email.

This afternoon, a Toronto police officer was seen entering a nearby community residential facility for offenders, also known as a halfway house.

Two sources confirmed to CTV News Toronto that Shea lived in that residence.

Brooks said her daughter was visiting the accused there when she was shot and killed.

Correctional Service of Canada said it is “aware of the charges that have been laid against (the accused) and that he is in custody,” but would not confirm the offender’s living arrangements, nor his address due to the Privacy Act.

They did say Shea is under their jurisdiction, adding the facility in question is a place offenders go after they have completed two-thirds of a federal sentence, as it’s legislated that these offeders spend the final third in the community.

Shooting is ‘scary and sad,’ says neighbour

Neighbour Stefany Bakelaar said she heard what sounded like a tire popping around 7 p.m. on Sunday night. A short time later, she said she saw a person lying on the ground as another person was running around, yelling.

“So, we called 911 and then we saw the cop cars get here and the ambulance,” she told CTV News Toronto.

“(This shooting) was a surprise to have it happen in this neighbourhood. We’re a really close-knit community so for something like this to happen, it’s scary and sad.”

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Beth Macdonell