TORONTO — A man shot 14 people, killing one of them, in a lively Toronto neighborhood before dying after an exchange of gunfire with police late Sunday, police said. Police Chief Mark Saunders said the shooting in the city’s Greektown neighborhood wasn’t random, and he didn’t 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.
He said the suspect used a handgun.
Police urged people to come forward with video or witness testimony:
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.
Toronto’s Greektown is a lively residential area with crowded Greek restaurants and cafes.
People leave area taped off by police near scene of mass shooting in Toronto late on July 22, 2018
CHRIS HELGREN / REUTERS
The condition of the other victims wasn’t known yet, police spokesman Mark Pugash said.
John Tulloch said he and his brother had just gotten out of their car when he heard about 20 to 30 gunshots.
“I thought it was fireworks at first, because it was a rapid fire, and then there would be a pause and more fire. We didn’t know what it was. We saw people starting to run in our direction, and I still didn’t know what it was. And then more people were running, and so we started running and we ran down a side street,” he said.
An army of police, paramedics and other first responders soon descended on the scene, while area residents, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening.
Bomb disposal robot is seen deployed within police cordon near scene of mass shooting in Toronto late on July 23, 2018
CHRIS HELGREN / REUTERS
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.
Fletcher said for this to happen in an area where families gather for dinner is a tragedy.
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. “Guns are too readily available to too many people,” he said.
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