One woman is dead and 13 others injured, including a young girl who is in critical condition, following a mass shooting in Greektown late Sunday night.
At least two cafes or restaurants appear to have been fired on.
Eyewitnesses say that the Toronto shooter opened fire at customers of the Greek cafe Demetres on Danforth Avenue.
Danforth Avenue in Toronto is called Greek Town the home of the Greek community in Toronto, Canada and is occupied by mainly Greek and Cypriot businesses , mainly Greek restaurants, cafes and grocery shops selling mainly Greek products. The Bank of Cyprus once had offoces there too.
Toronto police were called to an area outside Demetres restaurant on Danforth Avenue near Logan Avenue around 10 p.m. following reports of multiple gunshots.
Police chief Mark Saunders said the shooter exchanged fire with police officers and died at the scene, though no officers were injured.
Saunders would not speculate on what the motive may have been behind the attack, including the possibility that it may have been a terrorist incident.
“I’m keeping everything open, I’m looking at absolutely every single possible motive for this,” said Saunders. “When you have this many people struck by gunfire it’s a grave concern. I certainly want to find out exactly what it is, so I’m not closing any doors or any chapters on this and I certainly don’t want to speculate as well.”
The province’s Special Investigations Unit has been notified. As well, the homicide squad is taking the lead in the investigation.
Toronto mayor John Tory called the shooting a “depicable act.”
“I am outraged that someone has unleashed such a terrible attack on our city and people innocently enjoying a Sunday evening,” said Tory. “I would ask people not to draw any conclusions until we have more information from the police.”
“While our city will always be resilient in the face of such attacks, it does not mean such a cowardly act committed against our residents is any less painful – this is an attack against innocent families and our entire city.”
The shooting comes on the same weekend Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shootings or may have video or information about the shooting, they are asked to contact police in Toronto.
One of the biggest festivals in Canada will be taking place next month August in Danforth Avenue, that usually attracts over 1.6 million people over the weekend I expect security to be stepped up for this.
The Greek Festival Taste of the Danforth is a yearly festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the Greektown area along Danforth Avenue for a period of three days in August, spawned from the Taste of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is currently Canada’s largest street festival. It started in 1993, and this year it will be its 25th year of this event which celebrates Greek food and culture.The owner of Papa’s Grill, a Greek cuisine on the Danforth stated Taste of the Danforth has “grown exponentially and we are still experiencing growth 25 years to the day”.
This event generally occurs the second weekend of August. Past attendance numbers have been reported as high as 1.6 million people over the three-day event. Approximately 1.6 kilometres of Danforth Avenue is closed from Broadview Avenue to past Jones Avenue for the festival.
Food and attractions
Greek food includes pork, chicken, and beef souvlaki, spanakopita, loukoumades, gyros, and roast quail. Attendees can also enjoy seated dining within the many restaurants throughout Danforth Avenue and enjoy such Greek favourites as saganaki (the “flaming” cheese), and delicious fresh Greek salads. Thousands have been coming here in recent years and they are planning to continue to go strong. Existing stores and restaurants are also open during the festival, usually opening up their stores to the streets for customers.
In addition to the Wine Garden, the 2009 Taste of The Danforth allowed attendees to enjoy four different beer gardens.
Interactive activities will be available at The Taste, including face-painting and video games.