60-year-old homeless man killed in random attack outside U of T building: police
Written by The Canadian Press on March 21, 2025
TORONTO — Investigators say a 60-year-old homeless man who died outside a University of Toronto building was the victim of a random, unprovoked attack three hours before police were called.
Police, who initially said they didn’t believe the man’s death was suspicious, now say Mario Ferreira died from blunt force trauma to his upper body after Thursday morning’s alleged attack.
Investigators say they have video of a man who allegedly used debris, possibly from a dumpster or construction site, to repeatedly attack the 60-year-old while he was lying on a bench around 5:20 a.m. outside the University of Toronto pharmacy building.
Police say they were called at around 8:20 a.m., when a bystander contacted campus security and they called emergency responders.
Ferreira was pronounced dead outside the College Street building, just beside the grounds of Queen’s Park.
Police have released a picture of the suspect and continue to search for him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2025.
The Canadian Press