Toronto Mayor John Tory is speaking out after a rash of gun violence in the city over a busy weekend, including one fatal shooting in the heart of the downtown core.
Gunfire rang out on Saturday evening just outside Scotiabank arena as throngs of people were heading home following a Blue Jays game.
The shooting left a male victim dead and forced the closure of the busy Union Station travel hub for around two hours.
Then just a few hours later at around 3:30 a.m., two people were shot inside a nightclub on King Street West, near Bathurst Street. The shooting left a man with life-threatening injuries and a woman with serious injuries.
“I know these shootings are extremely upsetting and unsettling for people, as they are for me,” Tory said in a statement Sunday. “While I am angry that anyone would engage in gun violence and disrupt a peaceful weekend in our city, this also strengthens my resolve and I believe the resolve of the public to make sure we keep our city safe and making sure our police have the support and resources they need to deal with gun violence.”
He said the city “will continue to do everything we can” to combat gun violence, including supporting tougher gun laws and investing in crime-prevention programs.
“Any gun violence in our city is unacceptable,” Tory said in his statement.
“My thoughts are with those mourning a loved one today in the wake of one shooting and the family and friends praying for the recovery of those injured.”
He said police “are working relentlessly” to find those responsible and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Later Sunday a third person was seriously injured by gunfire on The Danforth.
The mayor’s statement comes just a day after the city dimmed the lights on the Toronto sign to mark exactly 10 years since the Danzig Street shooting that left two people dead and injured 24 others.
Overall, the number of people killed or injured by gunfire has been trending upward over the past 10 years, according to data from Toronto police. It reaching a decade-high of 240 on 2019, though that number decreased in 2020 (178) and 2021 (163).
That compares to 114 people injured or killed by gunfire in 2012.
Toronto recently received a federal commitment of up to $12.3 million to be distributed to local organizations which help prevent youth from getting involved in gangs, a program which in part aims to curb gun violence.
