Toronto rapper Smoke Dawg and Koba Prime, a man connected to a local music collective, have been identified as the victims killed in a triple shooting Saturday evening that also left a woman with serious injuries.

Smoke Dawg, 21, whose real name is Jahvante Smart, had ties to Toronto rapper Drake and toured with him in Europe last year.

Koba Prime, 28, whose real name is Ernest "Kosi" Modekwe, was a brand manager with the hip-hop music collective Prime.

The pair collaborated as part of the larger rap collective Full Circle.

Drake addressed Smoke Dawg's death in an Instagram story. (Drake/Instagram)

Online fundraisers — posted on GoFundMe — have been set up to help cover the funeral and memorial costs for both men.

Modekwe's page remembers him as a loving son and brother. "His infectious smile lit up any room he entered and he was instantly friends with anyone he met," the page reads.

"After graduating with honours from the University of Toronto, Kosi Modekwe worked hard to help his single mom and provide for his two siblings."

'Brazen' daylight shooting

Police said the two men were killed following a "brazen" daylight shooting in Toronto's downtown entertainment district Saturday.

Shots rang out shortly before 8 p.m. near Queen Street West and Peter Street, police said. The area was bustling with people on the Canada Day long weekend.

The two rappers and a woman were rushed to trauma centres

Police said one of the victims was without vital signs at the scene and was pronounced dead in hospital, while another died in hospital overnight. The woman, believed to be in her 30s, is expected to recover from her injuries, according to Det. Jeff Allington.

This was the scene on the city's busy Queen Street West after the shooting, which occurred just before 8 p.m. Saturday. (Neil Herland/CBC)

Post-mortem examinations for Smart and Modekwe are scheduled for Tuesday.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said he is "damn mad" about the city's latest gunfire.

People running, screaming after shooting

Witnesses told police that the scene was chaotic following the shooting.

"Reports were coming in from the scene by callers that a number of shots had been heard and that there were a number of people running and screaming in the area," Toronto police spokesperson Const. David Hopkinson said Sunday.

When officers arrived, they found two victims on the street immediately. Police searched the area and found the third victim a short time later, Hopkinson added.

A Toronto police officer stands on Queen Street West after the fatal shooting on Saturday night. (CBC)

"Typically in scenes like this, we do find the victims in other places; either they are trying to get to the hospital or they are trying to flee the situation," he said.

Police declined to say whether they believe the shooting was targeted.

More than one suspect was seen running from the area and may have fled in an SUV or car, police said. Witnesses told reporters they saw a black SUV with tinted windows and a white Bentley speeding away.

Allington said "a number of cars" left the area shortly after the shooting. Homicide detectives would like to talk to those drivers, he said, and police are asking other witnesses to come forward.

Gun violence 'causing mayhem,' mayor says

Speaking to reporters before a Canada Day parade on Sunday morning, Tory said he is angry and concerned about the shooting, but said Toronto remains a safe city despite recent gun violence. He also said he spoke to Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders about this latest incident.

The mayor blamed the shooting on gang violence and called for people with a history of weapons offences to be kept off the streets. He specifically pointed to those who've been charged with crimes but are ultimately released on bail.

"I just don't think they belong on the streets, and I've talked to Chief Saunders this morning, and I know that they are hard at work on this one and some of the other shootings we've experienced this year. And we're going to round these people up," Tory said.

Mayor John Tory pointed to gangs and people with a history of weapons offences as being the main culprits behind Toronto's recent gun violence: 'They're causing mayhem in otherwise a very peaceful city.' (CBC)

"We're going to put them in jail and then the real question is: Will the system keep them in jail until their charges are dealt with? Because we just can't have these people on the streets. They're causing mayhem in, otherwise, a very peaceful city."

Tory said he plans to talk to federal officials again about the number of guns in Toronto. He said he will also speak to the new Ontario government about the role of the court system in keeping the city safe.

"The gun violence is a challenge for us. And, you know, that's partly because guns are being trafficked in Canada within the current rules. And that's why those rules need to be strengthened and I've made that very clear to government of Canada — it's why we can't have people getting out on bail 20 minutes after they're arrested for using a gun," Tory said.

"We're working on that. I'm speaking out very forcefully on that, and I'll speak to the new government of Ontario about advising Crown attorneys on that."

'We'll hunt them down,' premier says

For his part, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the shooting is disturbing and curbing gun violence in cities will be a priority with the new Ontario government.

Ford said he thinks police are "the experts" on the issue and will figure out how best to deal with the problem. But the premier said he doesn't think the Toronto police should bring back TAVIS, the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, a police unit set up in 2006 to curb violence in high crime areas. Its formation came in the wake of the summer of 2005, the so-called "summer of the gun" in Toronto.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says: 'There's a very small, small percentage of gang-bangers chasing each other around and innocent people are getting killed. It's not going to be tolerated under my watch in Ontario, I can tell you that.' (CBC) "We aren't going to bring back TAVIS, but we are going to give additional funding to Ottawa and Toronto to fight guns and gangs," Ford told reporters outside Queen's Park on Sunday.

Ford declined to say how much the province will give to the two cities, but said justice will be done.

"This is unacceptable. We live in the greatest city in the world. This seems like this is happening every second day. There's a very small, small percentage of gang-bangers chasing each other around and innocent people are getting killed. It's not going to be tolerated under my watch in Ontario, I can tell you that," Ford said.

"We'll hunt them down. We'll hold them accountable."

Police seek photos, videos, security camera footage

A stretch of Queen Street West was closed overnight and into Sunday morning to allow officers to investigate, but it has been reopened.

Witnesses told CBC News on Saturday night that they heard about nine or 10 shots; some said they thought it was fireworks for Canada Day.

Lise Robichaud was on a streetcar in the area when she said she heard a gunshot. 'I looked outside, I saw a black male fall to the ground, then I heard four more gunshots,' she said. (CBC)

Lise Robichaud, who has been living in Toronto for the past two years, was on a streetcar in the area when she said she heard a gunshot.

"I looked outside, I saw a black male fall to the ground, then I heard four more gunshots," she said. "The TTC driver told us to get to the ground because it was a shooting. It's terrifying. I'm still shaking. It's very scary."

Robichaud said living in Toronto is "very scary" and she is thinking about moving back home to her native New Brunswick.

Investigators would like to speak to anyone who took photos or videos, or who may have dashboard camera video, as well as businesses that might have security camera footage.

Witnesses can call police at 416-808-5200 or 416-808-7400.</s>TORONTO — Police in Toronto say three people were injured in a shooting in the city's downtown Saturday evening.

It happened near the corner of Queen and Peter streets, where police say multiple shots were heard and several people ran from the scene.

Police tweeted Saturday night that the injuries suffered were "very serious," and in at least one case life-threatening.

They say two suspects were seen running away from the area, and they may have fled in a black SUV or white car.</s>TORONTO – Police say one of three people injured in a shooting in downtown Toronto has died.

Gunfire erupted in the heart of the city’s entertainment district Saturday evening, sending people on the street running for cover.

Police tweeted that one of the wounded was taken to hospital without vital signs and was later pronounced dead.

They described the injuries suffered by the other two as “very serious.”

They added that two suspects were seen running from the area, and may have fled in a black SUV or white car.

Toronto has seen a surge in gun violence this year which Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders have blamed primarily on gang activity.</s>Officials say three people have been rushed to hospital after a shooting in downtown Toronto Saturday evening.

Toronto police and paramedics said they were called to Queen Street West near Peter Street at around 8 p.m. with reports of gunshots being fired.

READ MORE: Friend of Toronto woman fatally shot in drive-by shooting speaks out

After emergency crews arrived, three people were found with injuries.

A Toronto Paramedic Services spokesperson told Global News that two male patients were taken to a trauma centre by their crews in life-threatening condition. A third victim, a woman who is believed to be in her 30s, was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

READ MORE: 3 dead after separate shootings in Toronto

A portion of Queen Street West was closed off by police for the investigation.</s>Four people have been injured following a shooting in downtown Toronto Sunday evening, police say.

The shots rang out at Augusta Avenue and College Street in the city's Kensington Market neighbourhood around 10:30 p.m. ET

A man in his 20s is in serious, possibly life-threatening condition and was taken to a trauma centre.

Another man, also in his 20s, was taken to a local hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Two others were taken to hospital with injuries paramedics say are not serious.

Police say there were possibly four assailants running away.

Traffic is being diverted from the area.

The shooting comes just over a day after two local rappers were killed after being gunned down on a busy Toronto street.</s>Toronto police are investigating yet another shooting in the city involving multiple victims.

Police tweeted late Sunday night that four people were injured after shots were fired just west of the downtown core in the city's Kensington Market area.

They described one victim's injuries as "very serious," and the others as non-life-threatening.

They also said that as many as four possible suspects were spotted running from the scene.</s>TORONTO — Police in Toronto say three people were injured in a shooting in the city’s downtown Saturday evening.

It happened near the corner of Queen and Peter streets, where police say multiple shots were heard and several people ran from the scene.

Police tweeted Saturday night that the injuries suffered were “very serious,” and in at least one case life-threatening.

They say two suspects were seen running away from the area, and they may have fled in a black SUV or white car.

The intersection is in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district and is full of bars and restaurants.

Police blocked off the area to traffic while they investigated.</s>Toronto rapper Smoke Dawg and a local producer have been identified as the two men killed after a long weekend shooting.

Jahvante Smart, 21, who toured under the name Smoke Dawg, died after a shooting in a busy area of downtown Toronto before 8 p.m. Saturday, police have confirmed. Ernest Modekwe, a 28-year-old producer known as Koba Prime, was also killed in the attack. A third victim, a woman, is in hospital.

Witnesses said bystanders ran for cover as shots rang out in front of Cube Nightclub on Queen Street West, near the intersection with Peter Street.

High-profile tributes to Smoke Dawg and Koba started circulating on social media Sunday.

Drake posted a photo of himself with the rapper on his Instagram story, with a message that didn't explicitly reference the shooting but appeared to allude to violence. "I wish peace would wash over our city," Drake wrote. "So much talent and so many stories we never get to see play out. Rest up Smoke."

Drake / Instagram Drake posted this tribute to Smoke Dawg to his Instagram story

Music producer Murda Beatz, who has worked with artists including Drake, Migos, and Travis Scott, also referred to violence on Twitter.

Late Saturday night, Toronto spoken word artist Mustafa the Poet tweeted that it was the worst day of his life, and followed it up with a tribute to Smoke Dawg.

Many similar messages were released by others.

His name may not be familiar to the world at large, but Smoke Dawg was well-known within Toronto's hip-hop scene. He grew up in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood, in a family of 9. He told Noisey that he had many musician friends, and that he got into music himself from accompanying friends to their studio sessions.

Along with musicians Mo-G, Puffy L'z, and SAFE, Smoke Dawg was part of the Halal Gang, a rap collective from Regent Park. They hit a milestone in March 2015, when Drake posted a clip from their song "Still" on his Instagram account. The song featured the left-handed "ginobli dance," which Drake would later mimic in the "Energy" video. Complex pointed out that Drake also makes reference to Mo-G in songs like "Jumpman" and "Summer Sixteen."

The group's relationship with Drake wasn't entirely uncomplicated: in 2016 Mo-G called Drake a "culture vulture" and alleged that he hadn't been properly compensated for his contributions to OVO, Drake's record label. But for his part, Smoke Dawg appeared to have a positive relationship with the superstar, bringing him out for a surprise appearance at a February 2017 show and opening for Drake on the European leg of his 2016 Boy Meets World Tour.

Outside of the Toronto scene, Smoke Dawg was known for collaborations with artists like Skepta and French Montana. His single "Fountain Freestyle" was released earlier this week, and an album called "Struggle Before Glory" was set to be released later in 2018.

Music critics say Halal Group had a lot to offer. "The music comes out of a specific context, one of loneliness and isolation felt by many East Africans who have struggled to integrate into Toronto culture at large," Safy-Hallan Farah wrote in 2016 article for MTV News. But they didn't find acceptance everywhere. In March of 2017, Puffy L'z told The Fader that the group was being vilified because they were young and black and grew up in a working-class neighbourhood made up largely of immigrants. The Halal Gang was not an actual gang, he said, and it was unfair to treat them that way.

At a Canada Day event on Sunday morning, Toronto mayor John Tory suggested that Saturday's shooting was likely tied to gang violence. Police have not yet released any information about motive.

Smoke Dawg himself denied allegations of gang activity, but was candid about the fact that violence was a part of his daily life in Regent Park. "I make music to tell my story," he said in a 2017 interview with Noisey. "It's a story of a kid from Toronto, that grew up in the hood, where he's seen a lot of his friends die."

"Even the people who are doing bad, sometimes they don't have a choice. It's very easy to get caught up in the shit."</s>Canadian police say a rapper who once collaborated with Drake was one of two men killed in a shooting in downtown Toronto.

Authorities today identified the men as 21-year-old Jahvante Smart and 28-year-old Ernest Modekwe. Smart was also known as Smoke Dawg, and had worked with Drake.

Drake posted a photo on Instagram showing him and Smart performing together. Drake wrote that such a death "is devastating." He lamented that "so much talent and so many stories we never get to see play out."

Authorities said the shooting happened just before 8pm Saturday at the corner of Queen and Peter streets in downtown Toronto. A woman wounded in the shooting is expected to recover from her injuries.</s>Toronto police say a young, up-and-coming rap artist was one of two people killed in a brazen daylight shooting in the city's bustling entertainment district.

Police say Jahvante Smart, 21, also known as Smoke Dawg, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, both of Toronto, succumbed to their injuries from the Saturday night incident.

The Toronto-born Smart was part of the Halal Gang, a group of four Toronto rappers. Shortly after the shooting, friends, artists and fans of Smart posted their condolences on social media.

Toronto rapper Drake posted a photo of he and Smart performing together with the caption, "Rest up Smoke."

The third victim of Saturday's shooting, a woman, is expected to recover.

Speaking at a Canada Day event Sunday morning, Toronto Mayor John Tory tied the shooting to gang violence, although a police spokesman would not go that far.

People with ties to gangs are "the only ones that pose a threat" to the city, Tory said, while renewing his call for systemic action to keep people accused of gun crimes off the streets.

"Some of these people who are out on bail ... have been doing this repeatedly," said Tory.

"We can't have people getting out on bail 20 minutes after they're arrested for using a gun."

Tory said he's spoken with the city's police chief, and he knows officers are working hard to "round these people up and get them off the street."

Police said shots rang out in front of a downtown nightclub near the corner of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue on Saturday evening, sending people fleeing in all directions.

They're appealing to anyone in the area who heard or saw anything out of the ordinary to contact police, as well as anyone who may have footage from the scene.

But Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said he couldn't confirm the shooting was linked to organized crime.

According to police statistics for 2018, there were 199 shootings in the city as of June 25, and 22 people killed by gun violence. There were 170 shootings by the same time last year, the statistics show, resulting in 16 deaths.

The latest violence -- on a busy downtown street in broad daylight -- has some Torontonians feeling unsafe in the city.

Carrie Ma, 18, was having a barbecue on the rooftop of a residential building near Saturday's incident. She happened to be taking a video of her friends as the gunshots were fired, and the sound is captured on the clip.

"Most of us have never heard gunshots before so we thought it was fireworks going off a day early for Canada Day, but then we began to hear sirens coming towards us," said Ma, who is originally from nearby Richmond Hill, Ont.

"I'm about to enter university and I will be living downtown, so it's a little scary," said Ma, who will soon begin studying at OCAD University.

"It's making me doubt whether I should live downtown -- although I know it could happen anywhere."
Two persons are killed, and one injured, in a shooting in downtown Toronto. These are the 49th and 50th murders this year, marking a surge of violence in the city.