They met on social networks: 8 teenagers suspected of stabbing a man to death in Canada

Eight teenage girls have been charged with murder on suspicion of fatally assaulting a 59-year-old homeless man in Toronto, eastern Canada, police said Tuesday. The 50-year-old man was attacked and stabbed by a group of girls aged 13 to 16 on Saturday night, said Sgt. Terry Browne.

 

Little information has been released about the suspects other than the fact that they allegedly met on social media. "We don't know how or why they met that night in downtown Toronto," Browne said. I wouldn't describe them as a gang at this point," he said, adding that five of them were not known to police.

The girls were arrested shortly after the attack near the scene and several weapons were seized. Police believe the accused may have been involved in another violent altercation prior to the murder.

 

The man had recently been living in a homeless shelter in the Canadian megacity after a "difficult" time, while being supported by his family, the detective said. In Canada, girls generally account for a minority of crimes, while boys are twice as likely to engage in violent behavior, according to government statistics.