Toronto gunman was a Pak-origin resident

TORONTO:THE gunman who went on a shooting spree in Toronto, killing two and injuring another 13, has been identified as Faisal Hussain, 29, a resident of the city’s Thorncliffe Park Drive locality.

Hussain, who had been employed in a grocery store, later exchanged fire with Toronto police officers on the scene and his body was later found in the vicinity of the mayhem on Sunday night. Police have yet to clarify whether he was killed due to injuries sustained during the firefight or if he committed suicide.

No motive has been attributed by investigators for the deadly rampage, and his family — originally from Pakistan — has issued a statement in which they said their son “had severe mental health challenges, (was) struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life”.

Hussain’s family is from the city of Jhelum in the Punjab province of Pakistan, according to reports.

Thorncliffe Park, the locality he lived in, has a high concentration of South Asians.

Toronto’s mayor John Tory said: “I know we are all committed to stopping gun violence and sending a clear message that it will not be tolerated in our city.”

As shooting-related deaths have escalated in Canada’s largest city this year, he had earlier said that “guns are too readily available to too many people”.

A vigil for the victims was held in Toronto on Monday as residents gathered to mark yet another violent episode in the recent history of Canada’s largest city.