Toronto shooting won’t deter visitors but will spark festival safety discussions
Killer had history of psychosis and depression but had not responded to treatment
Customers flocked back to businesses that had once again opened their doors in Toronto’s Greektown on Tuesday, vowing not to let a deadly shooting days earlier change their impressions of the lively community.
Many said they came to the area on a stretch of Danforth Avenue to reflect on the tragedy that killed two and injured 13, and to show their support for the neighbourhood known for its restaurants, boutiques and family homes.
“It’s good to see the street getting back to normal and they’re not changing the way they live,” said Dave Maugham, who grew up in the area and returned with his wife to have lunch at a local café. “We wanted to do that to show our support to the community . ... They’ll get through it, and they’ll be Danforth Strong.”
Life in the area had largely come to a halt after Faisal Hussain, 29, fired bullets indiscriminately at pedestrians and restaurant patrons Sunday night. The shooter was found dead nearby.
But while the neighbourhood showed signs of recovery, reminders of the weekend violence were still in evidence. The fountain in Alexander the Great Parkette, which previously served as a gathering place for locals, was surrounded by flowers, chalk messages of love and signs of support.
Many of those messages mourned the deaths of a 10-yearold — identified by police late Tuesday as Julianna Kozis from Markham — and 18-year-old Reese Fallon, who had recently graduated from a local high school and was preparing to study nursing at Hamilton’s McMaster University in the fall.
Mary Marzo wrote a plea for “love and peace” in chalk at the memorial, saying the city could use more of both at the moment. “I had to come back to my community,” she said through tears. “It’s such a peaceful place and such a great community.”
Mark Harris brought his trained therapy dog Cocoa — a massive black Newfoundlander — to the fountain to see if he could be of any help. While his opinion of Greektown remains untarnished, Harris said he suspected his behaviour at some of his regular haunts in the neighbourhood may change as a result of the tragedy. “I’ll definitely be back,” he said. “I’ve just thought about being more vigilant with keeping an eye on my surroundings. Maybe even sitting farther back in the restaurant.”
Another memorial took shape at the high school Fallon attended. Anthony Parise, who taught Fallon’s Grade 12 English class at Malvern Collegiate, remembered her as “a leader among her peers” and a fantastic caregiver.
“Her plan was to become a mental health nurse,” he said. “Knowing what I know of Reese, she would have been an exceptional nurse, because she was a natural caregiver.”
Meanwhile, details began to emerge about the gunman at the centre of Sunday’s violence. Hussain’s family issued a statement Monday saying their son had a long history of psychosis and depression and had not responded to numerous treatment approaches, including therapy and medication. The family said they were shocked at Hussain’s “senseless violence” and expressed their condolences for the families of thevictims.
Neighbours and friends said Hussain came from a supportive family beleaguered with troubles and showed no outward signs of mental illness. Fiaz Khan said Hussain was a regular sight around the building, but didn’t mingle with fellow residents to the same degree as his well-liked parents. He recalled, however, that Hussain prided himself on working to support his relatives.
Loblaw’s confirmed that Hussain had worked as a part-time employee, but declined to provide further details.
Neighbours said the financial support Hussain provided would have been welcome for a family contending with tragedies. Both Khan and fellow neighbour Sadaf Pathan said Hussain’s sister died in an accident years before, while a brother was in hospital long term with an unspecified condition. Khan said Hussain’s father also has Parkinson’s disease.