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Killing of Jane Creba (Boxing Day Shooting)

SOLVED2005Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On December 26, 2005, a shooting broke out on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, one of the city's busiest shopping corridors, just a few blocks north of the Toronto Eaton Centre. Jane Creba, a 15-year-old grade 10 student at Riverdale Collegiate Institute, was shopping with her sister and was exiting a Pizza Pizza on the west side of the street when the gunfight erupted. A bullet passed through her upper torso and lodged in her clothing; it was later recovered at the hospital. She was taken to St. Michael's Hospital and died during emergency surgery. Six other bystanders—four men and two women—were also wounded.

Within an hour of the shooting, police arrested two men on gun charges at Castle Frank subway station: Andre Thompson, 20, who was on probation and had recently been released from Maplehurst Prison following a convenience-store robbery conviction, and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, 17. Thompson declined a bail hearing.

Toronto Police formed "Project Green Apple" (named after Creba's favourite food) to investigate. On June 13, 2006, police conducted raids at 14 locations across Toronto, arresting six men and two teenagers connected to two different street gangs. By December 2007, ten people had been charged with murder or manslaughter, including Jorrell Simpson-Rowe, Tyshaun Barnett, Louis Woodcock, and Jeremiah Valentine, all charged with second-degree murder. One teenager charged with manslaughter was exonerated on October 25, 2007, following a preliminary hearing.

On December 7, 2008, a jury convicted Jorrell Simpson-Rowe of second-degree murder; in April 2009 he was sentenced as an adult to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for seven years. In November 2009, manslaughter charges against four other individuals were dropped due to insufficient prospects for conviction. In December 2009, Jeremiah Valentine pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 12 years. In April 2010, a jury found Louis Woodcock and Tyshaun Barnett guilty of manslaughter—not second-degree murder—as well as four counts each of aggravated assault relating to other wounded bystanders. Valentine was later released on parole; in July 2025 he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in Montreal.

The case drew intense national media coverage during a year in which Toronto recorded 80 homicides and a record 52 shooting deaths, contributing to 2005 being labelled the "year of the gun." The case influenced debate in the concurrent 2006 Canadian federal election on gun crime and street violence. Subsequent commentary, including a 2016 book by author Anita Arvast, examined issues of systemic discrimination in the charges and convictions and questioned the framing of the incident as gang rivalry, as well as the disproportionate media attention Creba's death received relative to other, similarly violent deaths of people of colour.

Key facts

Victims
Jane Creba
Date
2005
Location
Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2005-11-18

    Amon Beckles was killed outside a church during a funeral, one of several shootings preceding the Boxing Day shooting amid a violent year in Toronto.

  2. 2005-12-26

    Gunfight erupts on Yonge Street in Toronto; Jane Creba is fatally shot and six bystanders are wounded. Andre Thompson and Jorrell Simpson-Rowe are arrested within an hour.

  3. 2006-06-13

    Toronto Police conduct raids at 14 locations, arresting six men and two teenagers in connection with the shooting.

  4. 2007-10-25

    A teenager charged with manslaughter is exonerated following a preliminary hearing.

  5. 2007-10

    Eric Boateng, previously arrested in the initial roundup but not charged in the shooting, is shot dead in an unconnected incident.

  6. 2008-12-07

    Jorrell Simpson-Rowe is convicted by a jury of second-degree murder.

  7. 2009-04

    Simpson-Rowe is sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no parole eligibility for seven years.

  8. 2009-11

    Manslaughter charges against four individuals are dropped due to insufficient prospects for conviction.

  9. 2009-12

    Jeremiah Valentine pleads guilty to second-degree murder and is sentenced to life with no parole eligibility for 12 years.

  10. 2010-04

    A jury finds Louis Woodcock and Tyshaun Barnett guilty of manslaughter and aggravated assault, but not second-degree murder.

  11. 2025-07

    Jeremiah Valentine, previously released on parole, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in Montreal.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Jorrell Simpson-Rowe

    CONVICTED

    Convicted by jury of second-degree murder on December 7, 2008; sentenced as an adult to life imprisonment with no parole for seven years.

  • Louis Woodcock

    CONVICTED

    Found guilty by jury in April 2010 of manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault; found not guilty of second-degree murder.

  • Jane Creba

    VICTIM

    15-year-old student killed by a stray bullet while exiting a Pizza Pizza on Yonge Street during the shooting.

  • Jeremiah Valentine

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2009; sentenced to life with no parole for 12 years. Later charged in 2025 with first-degree murder in an unrelated Montreal shooting.

  • Andre Thompson

    CHARGED

    Arrested on several gun charges at Castle Frank subway station within an hour of the shooting; declined a bail hearing.

  • Tyshaun Barnett

    CONVICTED

    Found guilty by jury in April 2010 of manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault; found not guilty of second-degree murder.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

43.6559, -79.3805

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On December 26, 2005, a gang-related gunfight on Toronto's crowded Yonge Street killed 15-year-old Jane Creba and wounded six bystanders, sparking national debate on gun crime that shaped the 2006 federal election.
Where did the killing happen?
Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Who was convicted?
Jorrell Simpson-Rowe (Convicted by jury of second-degree murder on December 7, 2008; sentenced as an adult to life imprisonment with no parole for seven years.), Louis Woodcock (Found guilty by jury in April 2010 of manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault; found not guilty of second-degree murder.), Jeremiah Valentine (Pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2009; sentenced to life with no parole for 12 years. Later charged in 2025 with first-degree murder in an unrelated Montreal shooting.), and Tyshaun Barnett (Found guilty by jury in April 2010 of manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault; found not guilty of second-degree murder.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Ontario

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICBoxing Day shootingWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSForensic tests key to origin of fatal bulletThe Globe and Mail · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSFamily of slain Toronto teen remembers their 'bright light'CBC News · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 11, 2026