Shooter lived ‘life of struggle and pain,’ parents say

‘Too early to rule out anything,’ police chief says

OUR SON HAD SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, STRUGGLING WITH PSYCHOSIS.

TORONTO • The parents of the man who shot and killed two people and injured 13 others in a shocking spree along Toronto’s bustling Danforth Avenue Sunday night says their son had “severe mental health challenges” and had a “life of struggle and pain.”

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit identified the shooter as Faisal Hussain, 29, of Toronto.

“We are at a terrible loss for words but we must speak out to express our deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son’s horrific actions,” Hussain’s parents said in a written statement. “We are utterly devastated by the incomprehensible news that our son was responsible for the senseless violence and loss of life that took place on the Danforth,” the statement says.

“Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life. The interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. Medications and therapy were unable to treat him. While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.”

A family friend and youth employment worker who worked with Hussain for eight or nine years, said Hussain was a grocery shelf stocker who lived with his parents and who was shy but sometimes said inappropriate things.

Aamir Sukhera said Hussein showed no signs he was interested in “any extremes.

“If you’re thinking religion, he wasn’t.

“He was quiet, reserved, didn’t have a lot of friends, didn’t have a huge social circle,” said Sukhera. “But he was friendly, you know? So I didn’t think there was anything wrong with him. And I definitely never saw this coming. Never, ever would I imagine that he was capable. He was like a skinny kid, non-violent, never talking about violence or anything on those lines.”

Sukhera tried to get Hussain involved in Toastmasters, a group that works to improve members’ communication and public speaking. The most aggressive thing he witnessed was when Hussain called a Toastmasters official “fatso.”

When Sukhera asked him why he said that, Hussain told him he sometimes said things he shouldn’t say but couldn’t help it.

Sukhera also said Hussain had little online presence and doubts he could have been radicalized or indoctrinated with any violent ideology.

Three weeks ago, when Sukhera last saw him at a mall, Hussain was “all smiles.” Hussain still had the job stocking shelves at a grocery store but wanted a different job to get more working hours.

He lived in an apartment with his parents, originally from Pakistan, who were well known in the building. A neighbour said the parents had two other sons and a sister who died in a car accident when she was a teenager.

Until Monday evening, the identity of the shooter was a closely guarded secret because he died after an exchange of gunfire with police, meaning the SIU must step in to investigate officers’ roles in the death.

The SIU said the release of the shooter’s identity was in response to the unusual nature of his crime.

“Due to the exceptional circumstances of this tragic incident and the public interest in knowing the man’s identity, the SIU is identifying the man as Faisal Hussain of Toronto,” the agency said in a release. “The SIU continues to investigate this incident. The post-mortem is scheduled for tomorrow.”

Until the public had the name and at least a little information on his circumstances, the gunman was wholly embodied by a video that caught a shocking glimpse of his rampage.

Wearing a ball cap and a dark, unbuttoned jacket, a shoulder bag slung over his left side and a handgun discreetly held at his right, the man walked along the bustling sidewalk with purpose and pace — but no sign of frenzy.

He walked past the patio of a large Greek restaurant before a quick turn of his head to glance inside Caffé Demetres next door and, in a quick, fluid movement, pivoted towards the restaurant’s glow at the same time as his right hand raises his gun and his left arm moves across his body to meet it.

In a two-handed, straight-arm stance and without any noticeable pause, he opened fire at the crowd inside.

In all, Toronto police said, a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman died and 13 people were injured — six women and seven men — in a crime scene that stretched 350 metres.

Hussain died from a gunshot wound, although it is unclear if an officer shot him or he shot himself.

The delay in naming the man stemmed from the dual roles of the SIU and Toronto Police. Police are investigating the two homicides and multiple injuries while the SIU is probing Hussain’s interaction with police.

“We do not know why this has happened yet,” said Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders.

Asked about terrorism as a motive, Saunders said he could not rule that out.

“It’s way too early to rule out anything. That would not be serving justice well,” Saunders said. “Absolutely everything is open right now.”