A 15-year-old boy is fighting for his life following a drive-by shooting at a Toronto high school just after 12 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The grade 10 student was in the parking lot of his school, Weston Collegiate Institute, when he was approached by a suspect car and shot.

Speaking to reporters outside the school, Toronto Police Insp. Ryan Forde said the boy was shot in the "upper chest area" and that he ran back into the building while the suspect car fled the scene.

Shooting occurred short time ago outside Weston Collegiate on Pine St #Toronto #School pic.twitter.com/wKOy9HoLEb

— ☘️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Brian Magee 󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣🇨🇦 (@1BrianMagee) February 16, 2023

Inside the high school, staff and faculty hurried to help the student and called emergency services, who transported him to a local hospital.

The teen, whose identity has not been released, is now in the critical care unit at a local hospita with life-threatening injuries.

As a result, the high school and others in the immediate area we put under lockdown procedures. 

As the police investigation is in its early stages, officers say they cannot confirm or deny if the victim and suspects are known to each other. They similarly cannot confirm how many people were inside the suspect car at the time of the shooting.

SHOOTING:
Pine St & MacDonald Ave
12:02pm
- occurred at Weston Collegiate Institute
- one victim located with a gun shot wound
- school is in lockdown
- suspect fled the scene
- anyone with info call 9-1-1#GO370717
^se

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) February 16, 2023

"The suspect information at this time is unknown males drove by and obviously shot this gentleman, they made good on their escape in an unknown direction. I do not have a description of the suspects or suspect vehicle," said Forde Thursday afternoon.

The guns and gangs unit and the TPS 12 Division major crime unit have started their investigation and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

"This is a residential area, if any homeowners in the area have any dashcam or residential camera footage that would be greatly appreciated if they could forward it off to 12 Division," said the inspector.

Ryan Bird from the Toronto District School Board also spoke to reporters today and indicated that most children were evacuated to other area schools while the police investigation continues.

"Obviously we are thinking of him, his family, loved ones, the staff and students at the school here right now," said Bird of the young victim.