A woman is in hospital in critical condition following a shooting downtown early Sunday morning and police say that they believe she may have been an innocent bystander.
The shooting occurred outside a condominium building in the Portland and Wellington streets area at around 1:20 a.m.
Witnesses told CP24 that they heard at least seven gunshots.
The female was rushed to hospital by paramedics. A male victim was also injured but made his own way to hospital.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear; however police told CP24 at the scene that two people appear to have exchanged gunfire.
They also said that the shooting appears to be connected to a unit that was being rented out as a short-term rental.
On Sunday morning, forensic officers could be seen using metal detectors in the bushes outside the building as they searched for shell casings.
One man, who lives in the building, told CP24 that residents are shocked by the brazenness of the shooting.
“We live right over here, it’s very concerning,” the man said. “I have a two-year-old boy and this is not something you want in your neighbourhood.”
Speaking with reporters at a community event on Sunday, Mayor John Tory called the shooting “very, very tragic”
He said that the fact that an innocent bystander appears to have been injured as a result should serve as another reminder of the need for the city and other levels of government to “redouble their efforts” to fight gang and gun violence. “
“We just have to keep working at this and people have to help us by coming forward with information on some of these things they see,” he said. “This is something that is a scar on the city and I am very troubled by it but I also don’t want to fool people into thinking there is a magic answer that can be implemented overnight. If there was one we would have done it by now.”
There is currently no suspect information.
