Toronto shooting: Lone gunman opens fire, 2 die
13 injured, unidentified suspect found dead; witnesses heard ‘ 20 shots’
Toronto, July 23: A 10- year- old girl and an 18year- old woman died after a lone gunman opened fire along a lively avenue in the Canadian city of Toronto, seemingly shooting at random at pedestrians and into crowded restaurants.
Thirteen other people, ranging in age between 10 and 59, were injured in the attack in the Greektown district of Toronto on Sunday evening, police chief Mark Saunders told reporters.
The suspect, 29, had an exchange of gunfire with police officers before being found dead nearby.
The motive for the shooting is unknown.
Police have not identified the suspect, who was from Toronto, and it is unclear if he was killed by police gunfire or took his own life.
Police have yet to release his identity or speculate on a motive for the shooting.
“We are looking at all possible motives... And not closing any doors,” Mr Saunders told reporters at the site of the shooting.
Paramedics, firefighters and police converged on the shooting site in Toronto’s east end,
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible tragedy... the people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave — and we’ll be there to support you. — Justin Trudeau, Canada PM
which has many popular restaurants, cafes and shops. In a video clip shared by Canadian media, a white man wearing a dark cap and dark clothing and carrying a shoulder bag can be seen stopping on a pavement and pulling out a handgun before firing shots.
Toronto is grappling with a sharp rise in gun violence this year. Deaths from gun violence in the city jumped 53 per cent to 26 so far in 2018 from the same period last year, police data last week showed, with the number of shootings rising 13 per cent.
Toronto, July 23: A 29year- old gunman opened fire on pedestrians in a bustling Toronto neighborhood, killing two and wounding a dozen others, police in Canada’s largest city said Monday, adding the suspect was found dead in an alley after an exchange of gunfire with police.
A video clip posted by Canadian media appeared to show a dark- clad man walking on the sidewalk in Toronto’s Greektown neighborhood on Sunday night and then turning to aim and fire a handgun.
“At approximately 10 pm on July 22, 2018, a man walking along Danforth Avenue fired shots at groups of people several times. Several people were struck. Two civilians were fatally injured,” the Ontario Special Investigations Unit said.
The unit, which investigates police- involved shootings, said officers located the man on a cross street “and an exchange of gunfire took place.”
“The man fled the area and was located deceased on Danforth Avenue,” it said.
Toronto police chief Mark Saunders had said earlier that one of the victims was a young woman, and that a young girl was in critical condition.
It put the number of wounded at 13.
The gunman, who police said was 29, was not identified by name and a motive for the shooting in a district of cafes and restaurants was not immediately known. Officers, some armed with rifles, sealed off Danforth Avenue, Greektown’s main street, after getting the call around 10: 00 pm ( 0200 GMT Monday).
Witnesses reported hearing about 20 shots. “There was a lot of shots. It would shoot, there’d be a pause, we heard more shooting, and then a pause and then more shooting,” The Globe and Mail quoted John Tulloch, who was out for a walk at the time, as saying. “There must’ve been 20, 30 shots, altogether. It was a lot. We just ran.”
Jody Steinhauer told CBC News she was at a neighborhood restaurant with her family when she heard what sounded like 10 to 15 blasts of firecrackers. She said she was told to run to the back of the restaurant. “We started to hear people scream out front,” Steinhauer told the broadcaster.
Ontario’s new Premier Doug Ford called it a “horrific act of gun violence” and said his heart went out to the victims.
The incident comes with Canada’s largest metropolis concerned over a surge of shootings. Canada traditionally has relatively low levels of gun violence, particularly compared with neighbouring United States.
Mayor John Tory said on Sunday night’s firearms violence is “evidence of a gun problem” in Toronto.
“Guns are too readily available to too many people,” Tory told a news conference. Tory added that details of the latest incident remained sketchy and urged people to stay calm.