52-year-old Si Cheng was pronounced dead at the scene, and Fang was arrested later in a Toronto suburb and charged with first degree murder. According to authorities, this is apparently Toronto's first ever crossbow killing (and hopefully its last).
"The use of a crossbow is definitely a unique case in Toronto," said Vella. "You hear about guns, you hear about knives being used, but you definitely don't hear about a crossbow."More here: Alleged crossbow killer is victim's son. There isn't a lot of information about caused the altercation, but court records show that Si Cheng had previous domestic violence convictions, and had struggled with significant personal problems: Destitute crossbow victim sought help.
Earlier Friday police said the two men knew each other, and Vella later confirmed the men were father and son. Police did not say what caused the altercation.
Toronto Public Library spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins said the popular neighborhood library was busy with its after-school and mother-and-children programs at the time. Babies were among those in the branch when Cheng was killed, she said.
Although there were many witnesses, police have not yet confirmed if anyone noticed the weapon before the attack.
