On Friday night, three men entered the Piper Arms Pub in Toronto and opened fire, injuring 12 people before fleeing the scene, as reported by authorities.
The gunmen, wearing masks, used an assault rifle and two handguns to carry out the attack just before 10:40 p.m. in the Scarborough district, according to police.
“I’m happy to report, by the grace of God, that there’s been no fatalities,” said Toronto Police Supt. Paul MacIntyre to reporters at the scene, mentioning that surveillance footage captured the horrifying incident.
“We’ve seen a lot of shootings over the years, a lot of video … but tonight’s shooting, these guys just looked at the crowd and opened fire. It was horrible,” MacIntyre added.
Of the 12 injured individuals taken to hospitals, six had non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, with ages ranging from their 20s to mid-50s. The motive behind the attack was not immediately clear.
MacIntyre speculated that the guns used in the shooting may have come from across the United States-Canada border in an interview with the Toronto Star.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed deep concern over the violence at a press conference and assured close collaboration with law enforcement to address the situation.
A police spokesperson mentioned that there were no immediate updates available to share regarding the suspects.
The shooting occurred during the opening night celebration of the pub, with patrons present when the violence erupted suddenly, leaving behind a chaotic scene.
The suspects reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle, although a detailed description of the vehicle was not provided at the time.
