TORONTO — A 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman were killed in Toronto's vibrant Greektown when a man went on a shooting spree down one of the city's busiest streets, police said Monday as they tried to determine what prompted the attack.
Police Chief Mark Saunders did not speculate on the motive for Sunday night's rampage, which also injured 13 people between the ages of 10 and 59. Authorities said the suspected gunman fled the area on foot and was later found dead with a gunshot wound.
"We do not know why this happened yet," Saunders told a news conference. "The investigation itself is very fluid, it is very new, it's going to take some time."
Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders media update Monday July 23/2018~16 people struck with bullets at Danforth shooting 10pm July22 including suspect who died. 2 victims died (18yr old woman & 10yr old girl). Witnesses upload photos/videos https://t.co/Ry5X4qii95 #GO1341286 ^sm pic.twitter.com/MXfZgoB51B
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) July 23, 2018
The names of the two people who died were not released.
The suspected gunman moved methodically down a bustling stretch of Danforth Avenue on Sunday night, spraying bullets at unsuspecting bystanders and eventually exchanging fire with officers.
Clarification on Danforth shooting: 16 people shot in total (includes shooter), 8 women (including 10yr old girl) and 8 men. Three have died, (18yr old woman, 10yr old girl and the shooter). That leaves 13 still in hospital with minor to life-changing injuries. #GO1341286 ^sm
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) July 23, 2018
By Monday morning, several blocks in the heart of the neighbourhood known as Greektown were surrounded by yellow police tape and nearly all local businesses were closed. Many of those who witnessed the shooting recounted the chaos of the attack.
Lenny Graf, who had been dining at a local restaurant, said he was watching his nine-year-old son and a friend play around a nearby fountain when the shooting began around 10 p.m.
"My first instinct was to try and find Jason and I saw him crouched behind the fountain and I noticed that the gunman had finished shooting there and was walking away," he said. "I grabbed Jason and I took him into the alleyway. We ran to the back of restaurant to see that Jason's friend was in there safe and so was my wife."
Valia Dsaliou, who works at a Greek-language radio station in the area, said the close-knit community is reeling.
VIDEO: Witnesses describe the chaotic scene on Danforth Av as the man was shooting into various restaurants as he walked along the road. The suspect is dead, 14 victims shot, one woman is dead. Young girl in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/EQnxj4AJ0Y
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyGlobalTV) July 23, 2018
"It's like a small village for us," she said of the area. "This is something that we couldn't even imagine would happen, but it happened. But we don't know why or what all this is supposed to mean to us."
Witnesses had posted many photos and videos online, including a clip that appears to show a man, clad in black and carrying a satchel, walk a few steps before lifting his arms in front of him as gunshots ring out. That video was posted late Sunday night by Instagram user @arilanise, who appears to have since deleted her account.
Area resident Gord Cheong said he and his wife were at home when they heard a commotion.
"We heard some banging just before going to bed last night and my wife turned to me and said, 'Who the hell's lighting fireworks at this time of year?'" Cheong said.
PHOTOS: Numerous people shot along Danforth Av in #Toronto's Greektown. Reports of at least 10 victims including children. Patients are spread across several blocks in the area. Mass casualty response from @TorontoMedics @Toronto_Fire. pic.twitter.com/UK8lUHUP5l
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyGlobalTV) July 23, 2018
Fellow Greektown resident Jayme Milligan, 21, was also settling down for the night when she heard the news. She soon got a panicked phone call from her brother, who was visiting a friend a block away from the shooting scene.
Milligan said she drove to get him, witnessing police cars lined up for blocks and shocked residents rushing into their homes for safety.
"It's just surreal," she said. "It still kind of feels not real."
BREAKING: Multiple people shot on Danforth Av in Greektown. Victims are spread across many blocks. pic.twitter.com/PvobE1so81
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyGlobalTV) July 23, 2018
Toronto Mayor John Tory called the shooting an "unspeakable" act and said the time had come to confront the rising prevalence of guns in the city, which has experienced a spike in shootings in recent weeks.
"Why does anyone in this city need to have a gun at all?" he said in a Monday morning address to city council. "I know answering questions like this won't fully eliminate tragedies like this, but even if we can prevent one of these incidents, then in my view it is a discussion worth having and having very soon."
FEDS LOOKING AT WAYS TO TACKLE WAVE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN TORONTO: MINISTER
OTTAWA — The new federal minister responsible for tackling gun violence says he has been in touch with Toronto's mayor and police chief to discuss Sunday's deadly shooting in the city and how Ottawa can support efforts to stop a growing wave of incidents rattling Torontonians.
Bill Blair, minister of border security and organized crime reduction, made the comments on Twitter as other federal politicians tweeted their thoughts and support to victims of the shooting in Toronto's Greektown area.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a terrible tragedy, but added that the people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave, and Canadians will be there to support them at this difficult time.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible tragedy on the Danforth last night in Toronto, and may the injured make a full recovery. The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave - and we’ll be there to support you through this difficult time.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 23, 2018
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says his heart goes out to all those affected by the shooting, including emergency personnel who were the first to respond.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, whose department has been overseeing a federal program aimed at reducing guns and gangs in Canada, similarly thanked first responders for their work and said he had been in touch with Toronto's mayor but didn't offer further details.
Liberal MP Julie Dabrusin, member for the area where the shooting occurred, says she is shocked and saddened by the tragedy and has contacted police for more information.
Toronto mayor John Tory calls for a review of gun laws in the wake of Greektown shooting. pic.twitter.com/thEZjX0C6e
— CBC News: The National (@CBCTheNational) July 23, 2018
DANFORTH RAMPAGE CONTINUES A DEADLY YEAR OF GUN VIOLENCE FOR TORONTO
TORONTO — Sunday's deadly rampage in Toronto marks the latest in a growing list of fatal shootings in the city.
Gun deaths had accounted for 23 of Toronto's 52 homicides this year — compared to 16 fatal shootings by the end of June 2017. Police statistics for 2018 indicate there were 199 shootings as of June 25, compared to 170 this time last year.
Here are some of the high-profile shootings in Toronto since January:
July 1, 2018: Nineteen-year-old Marcel Teme died days after being shot in the Kensington Market neighbourhood. He was among four people shot in the area west of the downtown core.
June 30, 2018: Two people associated with the city's rap scene — 21-year-old Jahvante Smart, also known as Smoke Dawg, and 28-year-old Ernest Modekwe — were killed in a shooting downtown. On the same day, a driver near Shuter and George streets took a shotgun out of her trunk and opened fire at a pedestrian, injuring the 21-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man on a bike.
June 24, 2018: Jenas Nyarko, 31, was killed when someone in an SUV fired a single shot into a car in which she was a passenger returning from a funeral. In a separate incident on the same day, two men were killed when multiple shots were fired into a home.
June 14, 2018: Two young sisters — age five and nine — were sent to hospital with gunshot wounds to their abdomen and leg after two men got out of a truck and opened fire at a playground where about 16 children were playing in the city's east end.
Jan. 23, 2018: A 20-year-old man was charged with seven counts of attempted murder after a string of random shootings over two weeks. Toronto police say the man allegedly worked his way through neighbourhoods, opening fire on a total of seven victims ranging in age from four to 47.
