Police say suspects are male, with one in a black balaclava seen fleeing the scene at the Piper Arms in a silver car
Three suspects are at large after a mass shooting at the opening night of a pub in Toronto that left a dozen people injured, Canadian police say.
The shooting at the Piper Arms pub near Scarborough town centre in eastern Toronto happened at 22:39pm on Friday local time (03:39 GMT).
Authorities initially said that six of the 12 people injured, aged from their 20s to mid-50s, had non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Toronto paramedics, however, told Canada’s CP24 Media it was a “dynamic situation” and that some injuries were critical.
Police said the three suspects were male, with one of them wearing a black balaclava seen fleeing the scene in a silver car. They said they are using all resources available to find and arrest those responsible.
The suspects “walked into the bar. They produced their guns, and they opened fire indiscriminately on the people sitting inside the bar”, according to Supt Paul MacIntyre of Toronto’s organised crime enforcement branch.
“I’m happy to report by the grace of God that there’s been no fatalities… extremely lucky.
“I can tell you this was a brazen and reckless act of violence that’s really shaken our community and the city itself.
“It looks like we had a mass-casualty shooting inside a pub. When you walk in, it’s kind of eerie. The drinks are still on the table. The food is still on the table.”
When asked if the shooting may be connected to the recent tow truck-related shootings, he said: “We’re open to that, but we’re not sure yet.”
Toronto’s mayor, Olivia Chow, wrote on X: “I am deeply troubled to hear reports of a shooting at a pub in Scarborough.
“This is an early and ongoing investigation – police will provide further details. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Armed police and several ambulances and fire engines were on the scene as the pursuit of the suspects continued into the early hours.
Canada has a significantly lower rate of firearm homicides than the US at 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared with 4.5 per 100,000, according to 2021 data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Source: www.theguardian.com