Gunman had ‘mental issues’

Ottawa police arrest man about to stab ceremonial guard

The 29-year-old man who opened fire on restaurant goers and pedestrians on a Toronto street overnight, killing two people and wounding 13, had “severe” mental health issues, his family said Monday.

Police identified the gunman as Faisal Hussain of Toronto. He was found dead near the scene of the shooting after an exchange of gunfire with police.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said an 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were killed in the shooting rampage and 13 people – aged 10 to 59 – wounded, some seriously.

The authorities have not yet determined a motive for the attack that took place in Toronto’s bustling Greek town neighborhood around 10:00 pm Sunday.

Hussain’s family, in a statement to CBC News, denounced his “horrific actions” and said he was suffering from mental problems.

“Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life,” the family statement said.

“The interventions of professionals were unsuccessful,” it said.

“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,” the family said.

Video footage posted by Canadian media showed Hussain, clad all in black, walking on a sidewalk and suddenly pulling out a handgun and shooting into a restaurant.

Just hours after the shooting rampage in Toronto, police arrested a man who tried to stab a member of the ceremonial guard outside parliament in Ottawa.

The man was quickly arrested and no one was injured in the incident, the Canadian defense ministry said.

There was no immediate explanation for the knife attack and police were also seeking a motive for Hussain’s overnight shooting spree in Toronto.

“At this stage of the investigation, we do not know why this has happened yet,” said Saunders, the police chief.

“It’s way too early to rule out anything,” he said. “Absolutely everything is open right now.”

Witnesses said the shooting rampage lasted just a few minutes and sparked panic in the popular neighborhood of bars and restaurants.

“It was a very rapid and fluid incident that unfolded very quickly,” said Detective Sergeant Terry Browne.

Andrew Mantzios told The Globe and Mail newspaper that he was having coffee with friends when shots rang out around 10:00 pm.

Mantzios said he saw a man with a “horrible expression on his face” shooting at a crowd of people waiting to cross the street.

“And then a lady tried to run and she fell down,” he said. “He turned around and shot her point blank, two or three times.”