Leaders pledge to tackle gun violence following mass shooting

OTTAWA — Political leaders at all levels offered comforting words and pledged to work together following Sunday’s deadly shooting in Toronto, even as a new Statistics Canada report indicated gun violence is on the rise across the country.

Thoughts and prayers for the victims flowed from all corners Monday as municipal, provincial and federal leaders responded to the mass shooting, in which a gunman killed two people in Toronto’s Greektown area and wounded 13 others.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP counterpart Jagmeet Singh all took to Twitter with condolences and messages of support, as did federal ministers and MPs from different parts of Canada.

Similar sentiments were expressed by provincial legislators during a sombre session at Queen’s Park, where Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the shooting was not only tragic, “it should be a cause for anger.”

The mood was also heavy at Toronto City Hall, where council has been grappling with a wave of gun violence that has seen more shootings this year than over the same span in 2017 — a trend that appears to be reflected across Canada.

Statistics Canada reported Monday that there’s been a steady increase in gun crime over the past four years, with more than 7,700 Canadians having been identified as victims of such crimes in 2017.

The number of gun-related homicides had similarly increased in recent years, according to StatCan, with the latest statistics showing 223 gun-related deaths in 2016, just over half of which were gang related.

The report also said that while Ontario saw a 10 per cent bump in gun crimes between 2016 and 2017, there was a 47 per cent rise in Saskatchewan and that most of the increase across Canada occurred outside major urban areas.

Ottawa proposed legislation in March to tighten the sale of firearms, and has set aside $327 million over the next five years to fund programs designed to address criminal gun and gangs.