Toronto police say a man was shot as he sat in a downtown restaurant in the city’s entertainment district on Saturday night.
Police said a man was shot sometime just before 9 p.m. in a restaurant on Simcoe Street just south of Adelaide Street.
Witnesses who were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting identified it as Michael’s on Simcoe.
Frene DiMaso said she was sitting in the upper level of the restaurant when she heard two gunshots, followed by another two shots.
“We thought, is there somebody in here with fireworks, because we did not register it was gunshots.”
She said everyone got down underneath their tables and then the maître d’ ordered everyone to stay down. Then everyone was ordered to leave.
She said the victim appeared to be man in his 50’s. Police said the man was without vital signs. He was rushed to a hospital trauma centre for treatment.
Outside the restaurant, paramedics could be seen performing CPR on the victim, who was unconscious on the stretcher.
Police said a suspect in grey hoodie fled the scene and was last seen fleeing on Pearl Street
Uniformed and plainclothes police officers interviewed witnesses nearby.
Almost two years ago, a similar incident occurred inside the restaurant, seriously injuring a then-29-year-old man.\
Speaking to CP24, the owner of the restaurant, Michael Dabic, said he’s shocked a shooting has occurred inside for the second time in two years.
He said his daughter and 150 other people were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting. He said the victim was eating with another man when he was shot.
