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A disturbing cellphone video played in a Toronto courtroom on Wednesday captured a teenager allegedly receiving instructions from an unknown caller on how to carry out a targeted killing — one day before tow-truck driver Sulakshan Sevasingam was shot nine times in a gas station parking lot. The footage formed part of the sentencing hearing for a 16-year-old, identified only as A.P. under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in what prosecutors describe as a murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by adults connected to the towing industry.
A Phone Call, a Firearm and Instructions to Kill
Assistant Crown prosecutor Sharna Reid told the court that the video was recorded on July 5, 2024, inside a moving vehicle. In the footage, a hand holding a firearm and $100 bills waves near the rear passenger window as voices speak in the background. A.P. sat in the driver’s seat, a 15-year-old occupied the front passenger seat, and a second 16-year-old sat in the back.
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Reid described the recorded conversation in detail. A.P. answers a ringing phone and tells the caller he has been driving and is tired of it. The caller asks whether A.P. has seen anyone matching the target’s description. A.P. says no, then asks the caller if he has the target’s address. The caller says he does not.
Reid said portions of the audio are difficult to hear, but key sections are clear. According to the Crown, the unknown male caller instructs the teens: “Give it to him right away, bro, don’t wait… If anything, aim for the body first and then you go to his head. That way you don’t miss aiming for the head.” The caller also tells the group to record the act and promises “a nice bonus” in return.
The teen in the front passenger seat can be heard responding: “You’re dark, you’re a dark guy. This is not GTA, fam” — a reference to the video game Grand Theft Auto. A.P. then tells the caller he will try to get a video, before asking about payment: “How much we talking? It better be more than I make off every single thing. I need to make at least double.” The caller replies that A.P. needs more jobs and should first prove the current one is done.
The Night of the Murder
According to an agreed statement of facts, the three teens spent several hours on July 5 driving through the Kennedy Commons area in a stolen black Acura fitted with stolen licence plates, searching for Sevasingam. Later that night, at around 10:39 p.m., they fired multiple shots at a black tow truck parked at a Shell gas station on Don Mills Road. The 15-year-old recorded that shooting from the passenger seat.
The following evening, July 6, 2024, the group returned to the same area using two stolen vehicles. After splitting up shortly after 8:30 p.m., A.P. and the 15-year-old drove to a Shell gas station on Warden Avenue near Ellesmere Road. At 10:15 p.m., Sevasingam pulled into a parking spot beside their white Honda Civic. Within seconds, and without any provocation, A.P. shot him nine times. Sevasingam, 28, died from his wounds. A passenger in his vehicle, crouched in the front footwell, escaped physical injury.
After the killing, A.P. and the 15-year-old fled to Uxbridge, where they met the third teen. Together, they removed the licence plates from the Civic, discarded them in a sewage drain and set the car on fire.
Adults Behind the Plot Remain Free
The agreed statement of facts states that “influential adults” connected to the towing industry recruited A.P. and offered him money to carry out the killing. Those adults reportedly had access to firearms and were willing to use retaliatory violence within the industry. To date, none of those adults face arrest.
The court also heard that between May and July 2024, A.P. participated in 10 other shootings targeting cinemas, auto body shops, a tow yard, a jewellery store, a cannabis dispensary and a restaurant. A.P. pleaded guilty to 13 counts of reckless discharge of a firearm in connection with those incidents. The 15-year-old pleaded guilty to eight counts, and the second 16-year-old to ten counts. Both co-accused also pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact to discharging a firearm following the Sevasingam murder.
Victims Speak of Lasting Harm
A tow-truck driver who survived the July 5 shooting submitted a victim impact statement describing how the attack permanently changed his life. “Before this happened, I was working as a tow-truck driver and making an honest living,” he wrote. “After the shooting, that changed. Since then, I have struggled with anxiety and constantly feel the need to be alert to what is happening around me.” He added that his sense of security is gone and that he fears becoming a target again.
Sevasingam’s mother and sister also submitted victim impact statements. His sister, Krishiga Sevasingam, described her brother as someone who devoted himself to his family. “He always cared for those in need and he was honestly my role model,” she said, speaking through tears.
The sentencing hearing is set to continue in October. The Crown and defence have indicated they will jointly seek the maximum youth sentence for first-degree murder: ten years in total, comprising six years in custody and four years under community supervision. The only remaining dispute concerns how much credit A.P. should receive for time already served in pre-sentence custody.
