MAN FIRES INTO TORONTO CAFES, INJURING 14 AND KILLING ONE

A man firing a handgun into restaurants and cafes as he walked along a Toronto street shot 14 people, killing one of them, before dying after an exchange of gunfire with police late on Sunday.

Police chief Mark Saunders said the shooting in the city’s Greektown neighbourhood was not random and he did not rule out terrorism as a motive.

“Other than the shooter we have a young lady that is deceased,” the police chief said.

Saunders also said a 9-year-old was in critical condition.

A video from one witness shows a man dressed in black clothes and a black hat walking quickly and firing three shots from the sidewalk into at least one shop or restaurant.

Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them.

An army of police, paramedics and other first responders soon descended on the scene, while area residents emerged from their homes to see what was happening. Toronto councillor Paula Fletcher told CP24 she heard that the gunman was emotionally disturbed. “It’s not gang related. It looks like someone who is very disturbed,” Fletcher said.

Councillor Mary Fragedakis also said she heard the gunman was disturbed.

Mass shootings are rare in Canada’s largest city.

“We were so use to living in a city where these things didn’t happen,” Toronto mayor John Tory said. “But there are things that happen nowadays and they are just unspeakable.”

This past weekend Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Tory said the city has a gun problem. AP

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