New surveillance video exclusively obtained by CP24 captures the initial moments of a violent bank robbery in Markham that injured four employees Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at an RBC bank near 16th Avenue and Markham Road shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
In the video, the suspects are seen getting out of a dark-coloured vehicle and entering the bank. The suspects could be seen moving inside the bank. They were not seen in the video leaving the bank through the front doors.
About six minutes later in the video, a York Regional Police cruiser is seen pulling up to the bank and begins inspecting the area.
York Regional Police said three suspects, armed with knives and a gun, ordered everyone to get down on the ground, and demanded cash from the safe.
Two employees were stabbed during the robbery and two others were kicked in the face, police said.
York Regional Police arrived at the scene with patrol cars, K9 officers, and tactical units a short time after the robbery was first reported.
“Officers quickly set up a perimeter and members of the canine unit tracked the suspects who were hiding in a house under construction,” police said in a news release issued on Thursday.
The suspects were arrested without incident and police later learned that the vehicle they were using had been stolen in a violent carjacking in Toronto on Feb. 10.
The three have been linked to additional robberies throughout the GTA, police said, and the investigation into those incidents is ongoing.
The suspects, who are 13, 15, and 16 years old, are facing a number of charges, including robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault, disguise with intent, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
The teens, who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, will appear in a Newmarket courtroom at some point today.
The mayor of Markham, Frank Scarpitti, said while the injuries the employees sustained were serious, it is fortunate that the robbery did not result in a loss of life.
“I just wish the victims a speedy recovery,” the mayor said.
“It is a very brazen approach that these three individuals came in and started a violent attack on the employees. It is one more serious incident that underscores that serious action, immediate action needs to be taken on gun violence.”
