Police tape demarking a crime scene.JOHN LEHMANN/The Globe and Mail
Toronto police are searching for a suspect in the murder of a young man killed during the Nuit Blanche festivities.
Emanuel Lozada, 22, of the Toronto Beaches area, is wanted for second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Rameez Khalid of Toronto, police said.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, just after 2 a.m., police received numerous calls about an altercation at Richmond Street East just west of York Street, where they were able to make it to the scene "fairly quickly" because they had officers in the area.
When officers arrived, they located Mr. Khalid near the sidewalk, suffering from "obvious trauma" from a stab wound to the torso, where "immediate efforts to save his life were commenced," said Detective Scott Whittemore of the Homicide Squad.
Mr. Khalid was rushed to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Through the investigation, police have concluded that there were two scenes where an initial altercation unfolded and a latter one where the slaying was committed.
The first scene was at an unsanctioned pop-up rave on University Avenue just south of Queen Street, near the Adam Beck Monument, where up to 300 people attended, police said.
Police allege that during the rave, a minor fight broke out between the victim's group of four or five people and another group of five to seven people, although police aren't certain what caused the dispute.
Following the incident, the victim and one of his friends left the scene.
Both groups ran into each other at the second scene where a violent fight broke on the street, where police allege it was there that Mr. Khalid was stabbed.
Police did not disclose whether or not the group initially followed the victim. They are also searching for two other persons of interest who go by their nicknames, "Yoda" and "Munchies."
Police are urging for anyone who witnessed either dispute who may have taken photo or video, to send them in to police immediately.
"We're actively pursuing witnesses and as in any case they may have seen two seconds of the incident, but that two seconds could be crucial to forwarding our investigation," Det. Whittemore said.
Officers are also asking any cab drivers who picked up a group of young men that night who may have appeared to be in a rush to contact police.
Mr. Lozada is described as Venezuelan-born, 5'8"-5'9", 180 pounds, lighter skin with medium length thin brown hair.
Mr. Khalid is Toronto's 47th homicide of 2013; there were 41 in 2012.