Shooting spree in Toronto leaves several people injured

culprits sttill at large

Police Toronto said on Friday that three suspects are at large after 12 people were injured in a shooting at a pub in the Canadian city.

The shooting took place at 22:39 on Friday local time (03:39 GMT Saturday) near Scarborough city centre in eastern Toronto.

Authorities said six people suffered bullet wounds and others were hurt by flying or broken glass.

They say the injuries were not life-threatening.

Toronto police said the three men had entered the pub and “opened fire indiscriminately”, stating that they had been armed with an assault rifle and handguns.

Police Supretendent Paul Macintyre said the motive for the shooting remains unclear and that they are following all leads.

Macintyre said, “This was a brazen and reckless act of violence that’s really shaken our community and the city itself,”

Police said they were deploying all available resources to find the suspects.

Earlier, they said that one suspect, wearing a black balaclava, had been seen fleeing the scene in a silver car.

According to the police, the victims ranged in age from 20s to mid-50.

Macintyre further added, “I’m happy to report, by the grace of God, that there have been no fatalities,” She said they were extremely lucky.”

The Police Supretendent said he and other officers were “horrified” by video of the shooting.

He said the armed men just looked at the crowd and opened fire. According to him, it was horrible sight.

According to him, Glass walls were shattered and there was blood all over the floor, including in the basement, where some people ran to hide before police arrived.

Toronto’s Mayor, Olivia Chow, wrote on X that she was deeply troubled to hear reports of a shooting at a pub in Scarborough.

“This is an early and ongoing investigation – police will provide further details. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

She assured that all necessary resources were being deployed to investigate the incident and support victims and their families.

The number of those injured in this incident is high compared to other shootings in the area in 2024.

Last year, eight people were injured and two killed in shootings and firearm discharges in the police division where Friday’s incident occurred, the department’s data shows.

In Toronto, which has a three million population, 43 people were killed in shootings last year.

It is important to note that Canada has a lower rate of firearm homicides than its neighbour the US.

According to 2021 data from the Institute for Health Metrics and evaluation,  Canada has a rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people compared to the US. that has  4.5 per 100,000.

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