Drake security guard suffers life-threatening injuries in shooting outside rapper’s Toronto mansion, as online speculation ignites

Toronto police say the unidentified guard was rushed to hospital shortly after they received a call around 2 a.m. Tuesday. By early evening, the man was still in hospital, and police had no updates on his condition.

Insp. Paul Krawczyk of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force said the man was in front of the house when he was shot from inside a vehicle.

“He was standing outside of the gates in front of the residence when the shooting occurred,” said Krawczyk, who wouldn’t confirm whether Drake was home at the time of the shooting, but added the global music star was co-operating with the investigation.

Krawczyk confirmed the shooting and the suspect vehicle were captured on video, but did not release suspect or vehicle descriptions at a news conference in front of the rapper’s home just before noon.

Krawczyk said investigators were dealing with “video quality issues” and may have more information once they’re able to analyze the video.

On social media, speculation was rife that the shooting was somehow linked to what has of late been a very vocal, very public feud with American rapper Kendrick Lamar.

While Krawczyk said investigators were “aware” of the feud, he didn’t say if police believe there was, in fact, a connection.

The feud, which has been going on for more than a decade, has gotten increasingly ugly in recent weeks, with Drake accusing Lamar of infidelity and domestic abuse, and Lamar accusing Drake of being attracted to underage girls. In a video released by Lamar on Sunday titled “Not Like Us,” the opening shot shows Drake’s mansion, with silhouettes of 13 heads, while someone whispers “I see dead people.”

In a part of the city more accustomed to seeing luxury vehicles and high-end catering companies than police tape, squad cars and forensic investigators, it was clear this was no ordinary day.

A stretch of the street, in the Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East area, was cordoned off until mid-afternoon for the investigation. Just before 3 p.m., police removed crime scene tape that had been wrapped around the front yard of Drake’s house, and stretched across the courtyard. There was a large media presence at the scene, with camera crews and reporters lining the side of the street.

One security guard was stationed outside the home, and appeared only to allow authorized vehicles to enter and leave through the gates.

There will be an increased police presence in the neighbourhood “for the next little while, but it’s no different than any other shooting,” Krawczyk said.

The Bridle Path property was purchased in 2015 for $6.75 million (below its $7.88-million asking price) by a numbered Nova Scotia company that lists as its president Adel Nur, also known as Drake’s DJ and manager Future the Prince.

The sprawling, 50,000-square-foot home with soaring ceilings and an NBA regulation-sized basketball court, was designed by Canadian interior and architectural designer Ferris Rafauli, who also designed Drake’s tony Scotiabank Arena private club, Sher Club.

Drake — whose birth name is Aubrey Graham — was born and raised in Toronto, and has become something of a global ambassador for the city. He first came to fame during his acting days as a teen on the TV series “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” He went on to become a world-recognized musician, and has recorded videos, songs and albums referencing Toronto landmarks. He’s also an official global ambassador for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

On Tuesday, a budding Toronto-based musician who was sitting in his car near the scene of the shooting told the Star he came to Drake’s house late Monday night in hopes of getting his music recognized by the rapper.

The young man, speaking on the condition of anonymity citing concerns for his safety, said he was blasting his original music in front of Drake’s home and was told by security guards to leave.

The man said he moved his car a few hundred metres down the street from the residence and heard at least three gunshots at around 2 a.m. He said it wasn’t immediately clear where the shots were coming from. Moments later, he saw a dark-coloured SUV come speeding northbound down the street.

“I was going to drive off because I was so scared, but before I could even make that decision, I saw the (vehicle) drove past,” he said, noting he shared his account of what happened with police.

“Right now, I’m still processing the shock. Like this really happened,” said the musician who was still at the scene Tuesday afternoon.

With files from Wendy Gillis, Asma Sahebzada and Abhiraj Lamba.