Two Dead After Mass Shooting in Toronto Neighborhood

Two victims and a gunman are dead in Toronto after the gunman shot 14 people in the city’s Greektown neighborhood Sunday night, the Associated Press reports.

A spokeswoman for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said three people, including the gunman, are dead in the Danforth Street attack. Police previously confirmed that one victim, a woman, died Sunday night and that a young girl was in critical condition. No further details have been given on the second victim.

Police reportedly located the 29-year-old suspect, who had a handgun, three blocks away from the scene, exchanging gunfire. The man reportedly fled and was found dead on Danforth street. It is unclear if he killed himself or died of injuries after being shot by police. The Special Investigations Unit, which is automatically called in to investigate all deaths and injuries where police are involved, will determine how the man died.

Police are searching for video or photos that may have been taken from people and businesses in the area during the attack. One video shows a man dressed in black firing three shots from a sidewalk into one shop or restaurant late Sunday. Witnesses say they heard 20 to 30 shots.

“And then, I saw the carnage as I ran down the street here to kind of follow the gunfire,” a witness told CTV, describing the scene as “pretty crazy.”

“I saw at least four people shot,” he said.

Terrorism has reportedly been ruled out as motive for the mass shooting, according to Police Chief Mark Saunders. Police spokesman Mark Pugash said Sunday night that the conditions of the other victims, who were being treated for their injuries, was not known yet.

Shots rang out shortly after 10 p.m. ET in the Greektown neighborhood, which is home to many shops and restaurants.

“There was a lot of commotion in the street,” local resident Andrew Van Eek told CBC. “I saw somebody come just down the sidewalk and shoot into Demetres restaurant.”

Another witness, Jody Steinhauer, had been eating with her family at Christina’s, a Greek restaurant, when she heard what sounded like firecrackers. She said she was told to run to the back of the restaurant. “We started to hear people scream out front,” she told CBC.

Saunders said the crime covered a bit of distance.

Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, said, “My heart goes out to the victims and loved ones of the horrific act of gun violence in Toronto. Thank you to all the first responders for acting quickly to help everyone affected.”

Days before the shooting, the city rolled out a program to put 200 more officers on the streets of at-risk neighborhoods between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. to combat gang violence, CTV reports. It’s not clear if Greektown was included in that program.

Gun violence in Toronto had seen a spike in recent weeks, with CTV reporting that by July 8 there had been more than 200 shootings and 26 fatalities in Toronto. The report said that by the same time the previous year there had been 188 shootings, resulting in 17 deaths.