Raptors Fan Shot and Killed in Toronto Weeks After Getting Ejected From Game 4 of ECF

Raptors fan Sukh Deo was shot and killed in Toronto just two weeks after he was ejected from Game 4 of the ECF.

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In what now seems like ancient history, the Cavaliers and Raptors faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals in May to determine which team would get to meet the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. The height of that series—for Raptors fans, at least—was Game 4 on May 23. It featured Toronto beating Cleveland 105-99 to even the series up at 2-2 in front of a crazed hometown crowd.

One of the fans in attendance that night was Sukh Deo, and he made headlines during the game after he got ejected for heckling the NBA referees who were working that night. Referee Monty McCutchen asked security at the Air Canada Centre to remove Deo from the arena during the fourth quarter of the game, and play was temporarily halted with the Raptors leading 89-88 while Deo was escorted from his courtside seat. You can watch here:

According to the Vancouver Sun, Deo was shot and killed on Tuesday afternoon in midtown Toronto. The Sun is reporting that Deo, 34, was inside of a Range Rover when two men opened fire. Toronto Police Supt. Reuben Stroble told the Sun that a shooting in that area of the city is a “surprise,” and he revealed that at least 14 bullet holes were visible in the Range Rover’s driver’s side door. Deo’s uncle Sohan Deo confirmed his nephew’s death for the Sun but said that he didn’t know why he would be a target. He noted that Deo had moved from Vancouver to Toronto several years ago to head up a trucking company.

In their report, the Sun revealed Deo was the subject of a continuing criminal investigation at the time of his murder, though police have not elaborated on that investigation yet. The Sun—which referred to Deo as a "former Metro Vancouver gangster"—also revealed Deo had been arrested for resisting a police officer, driving while suspended, and assault in Vancouver. Additionally, the paper reported that Deo’s brother Harjit was convicted of kidnapping in 2005 and that Deo’s father Parminder is wanted on international drug smuggling charges stemming from a case in India.

Toronto police have not made any arrests in Deo’s murder, but they are calling it a homicide and are asking the public to help them locate the suspects:

SHOOTING:
Yonge St + Eglinton Av
-2 men fleeing area in blk car
-1 wearing green construction vest
-1 wearing orange construction vest
^dh

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