"Indiscriminate" back-to-back shootings rock North York

Plus, the low quality of life in Toronto and the Toronto Public Library cyberattack [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on two random shootings in North York, quality of life in Toronto and the Toronto Public Library cyberattack. DON’T MISS Calvi Leon/The Star gun violence [A teen and a father were randomly shot near Jane and Driftwood bus stops ]( Toronto police believe two people who were merely going about their day were “indiscriminately” targeted by the same suspects in back-to-back daylight shootings at a busy North York intersection, Calvi Leon and Nawa Tahir report. The first victim was a 16-year-old student on his way to a volleyball game, whose life was forever changed after being shot in the face. The second was a 39-year-old husband and father of four who had just moved from Ghana to support his family. He died in hospital after being shot multiple times. [The incidents have shaken the Black Creek community](. - Wait, what? Neither victim had a relationship to the suspects or each other, or any gang-related activity, police said. - Context: The shootings come after a year of relatively low gun violence in the city. Last year, 168 people were killed or injured in a shooting — the lowest in a single year since 2015 and a 40 per cent decrease over five years. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star cost of living [Torontonians are reporting a lower quality of life than average Canadians]( As housing and food prices remain high, Torontonians are feeling down. A Statistics Canada report released Tuesday shows shelter costs continue to drive inflation nationally, while another report released Monday found Toronto’s renters and youth have a particularly bleak outlook compared to homeowners and older demographics, Mahdis Habibinia reports. The StatCan report didn’t make a causal link, but an expert with the organization said Toronto being an expensive city is important context and there are “lower quality of life indicators sort of across the board.” [Here’s a closer look at the findings](. - By the numbers: Nationally, mortgage interest costs have increased 27.4 per cent over the last year, while rent has increased by 7.9 per cent, according to the Tuesday report. They have been a main contributor to the annual inflation rate over the past several months. - Meanwhile: Bank of Canada rate cuts are “much more plausible” [with inflation taking an unexpected dive in January](. Nick Lachance/The Star cyber security [The Toronto Public Library still isn’t sure whose data was stolen in the October cyberattack]( Was it cardholder, volunteer or donor data that was compromised during a cyberattack on the Toronto Public Library four months ago? The library said in a final report to the board that it is engaged in an e-discovery process with a third-party to find out, but it needs more time. According to cybersecurity experts, that’s par for the course for a sophisticated attack — the full extent of the breach may not be known for a long time, if ever. [Here’s what we do know about the investigation and the hackers](. - Go deeper: “Public sector organizations are increasingly becoming targets, whether motivated by financial gain or sheer malice,” the report says. “In the case of public libraries, dedicated to equity, access to information, intellectual freedom, and openness for all, this represents an attack on the very essence of civil society.” - Now what? Increased investment is urgently needed before another attack successfully breaches systems from wastewater to communications, said Charles Finlay, executive director of the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at TMU. WHAT ELSE [Canada has ditched plans to make oral arguments at the International Court of Justice]( about Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. As MPPs returned to Queen’s Park, [Doug Ford refused to apologize to nurses, teachers and other public servants for his wage-capping legislation](. [Prince William is speaking out on Gaza]( — a bold departure for the typically politically neutral Royal Family. School boards are struggling to find teachers — [Ford’s government is considering “every option.”]( Why won’t city staff change the [ludicrous rule that lets motor homes park on Toronto streets for weeks]( A public dangerous-dog registry may be coming to Toronto. [But will it help curb increasing attacks?]( An accused man testified about his 15-year-old friend’s stabbing death at a Toronto school. [“I really wish I could trade my life for his.”]( [A New Hampshire man on trial for the death of his five-year-old daughter said he hated her]( his friend testified. Loblaw is planning to build 40 new stores and create 7,500 jobs in a $2-billion expansion. [Here’s what we know](. How often should you bathe your kid? [Here’s what the experts say it’s doing to their skin](. POV Tim Fryer/The Star [As family doctors, our prescription for new residents is to not set up a practice in Ontario.]( CLOSE-UP Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo LONDON: Demonstrators hold banners outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday in support of Julian Assange. Lawyers for the U.S. government will tell a London court today why they think the WikiLeaks founder should face espionage charges in the United States. [Here’s what you need to know](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_209232). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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