Two men are dead and a woman is in hospital with serious injuries after gunfire erupted at a backyard birthday party in Scarborough early Sunday morning.

Police say that an estimated 200 people were partaking in a barbecue behind a home on Gennela Square at around 1 a.m. when some sort of altercation broke out.

Shots were then fired during that course of that altercation.

Rinaldo Cole, 33, and Dwayne Campbell, 30, were both pronounced dead on scene after efforts to revive both men proved unsuccessful. The woman who was celebrating her birthday, meanwhile, was rushed to Sunnybrook Hospital. She was initially transported with life-threatening injuries; however police say that she is now listed in serious but stable condition.

“While there were numerous people here at the party I can tell you that we have had very little cooperation from people,” Det. Rob North told reporters at the scene on Sunday morning. “We have interviewed a small amount of those individuals here and I want anyone who has not been spoken to and was at the party to contact us.”

Campbell’s family told CP24 Sunday evening that he leaves behind a 12-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter and that they are “devastated” by his violent death.

North said that all three victims were known to police but he declined to provide any further information on their past.

He said investigators are “still trying to decipher who was targeted and who was not targeted."

“We really haven’t had a lot of people come forward to us and that is one of the questions we want to ask them. Exactly how this happened at a barbecue,” he said.

Police have not released any information about potential suspects at this point, refusing to even speculate on how many people may have opened fire.

While North said that there is a “large amount” of video footage from the party that could offer some clues, he said those who were in attendance are in the best position to help police identify a suspect or suspects.

He said that police are also asking area residents to look through their backyards for anything that may be relevant to the case.

“Just based on the sheer number of people who were here it would be very difficult for us to pick out one person or multiple people who we believe are suspects. That is a narrative we need to get from members of the community,” he said.

'Peaceful and quite neighbourhood'

The shooting took place on an otherwise quiet residential street that is located a stones throw away from the Toronto Zoo.

Several neighbours told CP24 that the residents of the house do hold a large party every summer but are otherwise quiet people who don't cause problems.

“This is totally shocking. It's a very peaceful and quiet neighbourhood,” neighbor Dow Shew told CP24 on Sunday morning. “These people are not rowdy people; they just host a party. That's all.”

North said that police will be canvassing the neighbourhood for information and possible surveillance footage as part of their investigation.