An intense police investigation continues in Toronto after 12 people were injured in a mass shooting at a pub in the eastern part of the city on Friday night. As the hunt continues for the three suspects, police say they still don’t have any additional information.
The attack occurred Friday night as the Piper Arms pub was celebrating its opening night.
“I can tell you that this was a brazen and reckless act of violence that’s really shaken our community,” said Police Superintendent Paul McIntyre, who further described what happened.
“Three males entered the pub just before 10-40. One male was armed with what appeared to be an assault rifle, the other two males were armed with handguns. And they walked into the bar, they produced their guns and they opened fire indiscriminately,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre said many of the patrons ducked for cover and ran into the basement. Miraculously, he says no one was killed. Twelve people were injured, six from gunshot wounds, the others from flying broken glass.
Mayor Olivia Chow says this kind of shooting is deeply troubling.
“It is a priority that we create and build a city that is caring, affordable, and also safe. So, any time there is a mass shooting of this nature, it is deeply troubling,” Chow said.
Toronto’s police chief, Myron Demkiw, says all police resources have been made available for the investigation.
“The message is Toronto police are here. We’re going to do everything we can to restore a sense of safety and security. You’re going to see us around a lot. We will go where the evidence leads us, and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that we do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice,” Demkiw said.
Demkiw would not speculate on the motive for the attack, but he adds that gun violence remains a top priority for the city’s police service.
Chris Lewis is a former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. Lewis says this kind of shooting is very rare in Ontario, he says police have a challenging job ahead of them.
“They will likely have some idea why this occurred and who they’re looking for. Somebody inside that place was being targeted. Maybe a group of people was likely gang activity of some sort. And so, if any of them are willing to speak to police, they will have some idea as to why this has occurred, and who exactly they are looking for,” Lewis said.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
