On Friday, March 7, a mass shooting in a Toronto pub injured at least 12 people. Of those, six of them have suffered gunshot wounds but all sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Toronto police have launched a manhunt for three male suspects who remain on the run as of Saturday morning.
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As reported by CBC, police stated that the shooting took place at around 10:40 p.m. on Friday at Piper Arms Pub, located near the Scarborough Town Centre mall. Initially, police reported 11 victims, but shortly adjusted the number to 12. All of the victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and their ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old.
Toronto police stated video surveillance footage showed three male suspects arriving at the pub wearing masks. One of the suspects was carrying an assault rifle, while the other two had handguns. Immediately, according to Supt. Paul McIntyre, the suspects began firing "indiscriminately," and patrons ducked for cover, leaving the pub with broken glass and bloodied.
Once police arrived at the scene, they found many of the victims lying on the floor. Some were even sitting on their seats after getting shot. All victims were transported to a local hospital.
Authorities React
McIntyre was shocked after learning about the shooting and stated that "by the grace of God," no one died as a result.
"We've seen a lot of shootings over the years, a lot of video, you get inured to it to a certain extent, but tonight's shooting, these guys just looked at the crowd and opened fire," McIntyre said. "They walked into the bar. They produced their guns, and they opened fire indiscriminately on the people sitting inside the bar."
He would then call it an early and ongoing investigation. When prompted if this incident can be connected to the recent violence related to the tow truck industry, McIntyre stated that they are investigating said possibility. For the moment, it is unclear whether the mass shooting was a targeted attack or not.
Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow addressed the incident on X, stating that she was "deeply troubled" and that she had spoken to authorities.
"I am deeply troubled to hear reports of a shooting at a pub in Scarborough," Chow wrote. "I have spoken to Chief Demkiw and he has assured me all necessary resources have been deployed. This is an early and ongoing investigation - police will provide further details. My thoughts are with the victims and their families."
