TORONTO — Police have identified the suspect in a hit-and-run that injured four people on Toronto Metropolitan University's downtown campus Tuesday, saying he is still at large and considered dangerous.
Ryan Petroff, 23, is wanted on multiple charges, including two counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and failing to remain at the scene of an accident, police said in an update Wednesday.
"We believe this individual is dangerous and we are urging the public not to approach him," Toronto police Insp. Errol Watson said at a news conference. "If you see him, call police immediately."
Watson also urged Petroff to turn himself in to police.
The hit-and-run happened at a pedestrian walkway on the campus at around 2 p.m. Tuesday, injuring four people. Two of them were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while the other two sustained minor injuries.
Investigators believe the attack was targeting a specific person on the pathway called the Nelson Mandela Walk and said the victims were sitting on a bench when the vehicle struck them.
None of the victims were university students or staff, police said.
Police said they believe the suspect and the intended target knew each other, but wouldn't elaborate on the nature of their relationship. Watson said that's being done "to protect the identity of the victim."
He said the vehicle involved, a green four-door Honda with stolen licence plates, had not been found as of Wednesday afternoon.
Toronto Metropolitan University said in a statement Wednesday that planters have since been placed at the main entrances to Nelson Mandela Walk and noted that barriers "have always been in place" at another pedestrian-only area of the campus, at Victoria and Bond streets.
"Yesterday's hit-and-run incident is very troubling. TMU is thinking of all of those who have been impacted," the statement said. "The university wants to ensure that the campus remains a safe, walkable place."
The university said its pedestrian streets, including the Nelson Mandela Walk, are city property and must be accessible to emergency vehicles.
"The university is discussing with the City of Toronto what additional safety measures can be implemented to ensure pedestrian walkways used by TMU community members and the public are safe while maintaining accessibility for emergency vehicles," it said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
