Mayor-elect Olivia Chow says she “can’t imagine” the grief and shock being felt by some members of the community following a spate of violent incidents in Toronto, including one that recently left a mother of two dead, and that stopping the violence will be one of her top priorities as mayor.
“My condolences to the family and loved ones of Karolina Huebner-Makurat,” Chow said to reporters following an anti-Islamophobia event Monday morning. “I can't imagine the grief and the shock that's going through the rest of the community.”
Huebner-Makurat, 44, died after being struck by a stray bullet while walking near Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue during the noon hour on July 7. Police are still looking for three male suspects in connection with the deadly incident.
The fatal shooting occurred just a day after a man was stabbed following an altercation on a crowded subway train approaching Eglinton Station. One suspect has since been arrested in connection with that incident.
Then just today, two people were seriously injured in an early-morning shooting downtown which police say may have started as a road rage incident.
“It's difficult when we see this kind of violence,” Chow said when asked about the incidents. “I'll do what I can to combat it. I've talked to some of the senior staff, and we’ll have a strategy to put in place.”
According to data from Toronto police, major crime indicators are up 20 per cent this year compared to the same period in 2022. That includes a 17 per cent increase in assaults.
While homicides are down 11 per cent, more recent data on shootings and gun incidents are not yet available.
Speaking following a transitional meeting later in the day to discuss supportive housing and wrap around services, Chow said she has spoken with Toronto police about the Leslieville shooting and called it a “horrible tragedy.”
“People in our city deserve to be safe, they deserve to feel safe,” Chow said. “The challenge before me when I become mayor is to find ways to end gun violence and all types of violence in our city so that tragedies like this one do not happen. And this is a top priority for me.”
She said she supports the violence-reduction strategies the city already has underway and said a public health approach is needed to further tackle the roots of gun violence.
“I think it's not a one size fits all. It's a combination of all that is out there, all the best practices,” Chow said. “Then let's use a public health, a scientific approach; what has worked in the past? How could we expand those and then we track the results. Cities like Glasgow have done it. We have seen it work in other cities so there's no reason why Toronto can't do the same. It is a very collaborative, cooperative approach.”
In an interview with CP24, Zero Gun Violence Movement Director Louis March said the recent incidents should be of concern to people across the city.
“It should be concerning because of the brazen nature of the shootings, but also the unpredictability,” March said. “The safe zones that are normally safe zones have been breached, and you can't predict where the next shooting will take place.”
March’s group works with victims of gun violence and he said “the stories are unbearable in terms of what the people have to go through.”
He said SafeTO, the city’s existing strategic action plan on public safety, is meant to get ahead of violence before it happens and called on Chow to implement it.
Public safety was an issue during the mayoral campaign. Chow’s plan included a promise to improve 911 wait times and to expand a pilot project which sees teams of mental health professionals respond to some non-violent 911 calls.
Chow is set to be officially sworn into the job on Wednesday.
