TORONTO, Ont. – It is an event that left a city shocked, a country stunned and is making headlines all around the world.
The afternoon shopping at the Eaton Centre, downtown Toronto’s largest and busiest mall, was interrupted Saturday after a gunman opened fire in the mall’s packed food court.
The shooting, which claimed the life of a 25-year-old man and left seven others injured, happened just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday, sparking a frenzied, mass evacuation from the downtown mall.
A Saturday shopping destination for many visitors and residents of Toronto, the Eaton Centre will likely never be the same for many people.
“All of the sudden we heard, bang bang bang, really, really fast, at least seven or eight times,” said one man.
By the time the bullets had stopped flying, a 25-year-old man, now believed to have been the intended target, was dead.
“All of the sudden we heard gunshots, and I saw somebody walking, and I saw the white lights, everything was so sudden. I ran under a table and I couldn’t find my mom at first,” sobbed one young woman. “But then I found her and we had to hide in the kitchen for a while.”
Six others were hit by gunfire and rushed to hospital with various wounds, many of them considered serious.
One of them was a 13-year-old boy, initially listed in critical condition. He is listed as in improving condition in hospital.
Also injured was a male, 20, who was in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound. Two females and another male, whose ages have not yet been released, were also injured from gunfire and were listed in serious condition.
Another female was also grazed by a bullet, suffering only minor injuries.
Also injured was a pregnant woman, who suffered minor injuries after being knocked over and
trampled in the evacuation. She was taken to hospital and there were reports that she may
have gone into labour during the event.
CityNews video: Toronto police Chief Bill Blair addressing the media
The mall will remain closed Sunday, as police and forensics teams continue to investigate. The search for the shooting suspect continues as well, with police saying they have a description and will release it after reviewing more camera footage.
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said investigators believe the gunman acted alone, putting hundreds of people at danger.
“There was a lot of people present when this gunfire took place, a lot of innocent people were hurt, and a lot of innocent people were put at risk,” Blair said.
Mayor Rob Ford also attended the scene Saturday night, condemning
the shooting and sending his thoughts to the victims and their families.
“It rips me apart, I was just at a football game with 13 and 14-year-old
kids,” Ford said of the young shooting victim. “It pulls at my heart
strings.”
CityNews video: Mayor Rob Ford responds to fatal Eaton Centre shooting
In a statement, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said: “On behalf of all Ontarians, I want to express my condolences to family and friends of everyone involved in tonight’s shooting at the Eaton Centre. Those who were injured are particularly in Ontarians’ thoughts and prayers right now as we attempt to make sense of this instance of senseless, tragic violence in the heart of a peaceful city.”
“I know I speak for all Ontarians when I say that while we are saddened and shocked by today’s events, we will respond as we always have — with strength, determination and a desire to work together, and work even harder, to build communities that are safe, secure and free of gun violence.”
Many others have chimed in, including Olivia Chow, who Tweeted: “On flight back to Toronto. My thoughts and prayers are to those shot at the Eaton Centre and their families. Will drop by Yonge/Dundas Sq.”
Major international news outlets like CNN, ABC and Al Jazeera all picked up on the story; a testament to the massive impact of the shooting.
CityNews video: Shots fired inside Eaton Centre
Both Ford and Blair assured that everything is being done to bring the shooter to justice. Emergency Task Force officers responded to the shooting quickly but were unable to locate the shooter amongst the chaos.
In a statement, Eaton Centre’s property manager, Cadillac Fairview, said the mall will be closed to both shoppers and employees until further notice.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time,” company spokesperson Janine Ojah-Maharaj said.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie was at the mall after playing an afternoon game against the Boston Red Sox when the shooting occurred. He described it as a chaotic scene.
St. Michael’s Hospital, which is near the mall, was briefly in lockdown mode, but it’s since been lifted.
Subway service was initially shut down between Bloor and Union stations for the investigation, but has partially reopened with trains currently bypassing Queen and Dundas stations. The 501 and 505 streetcars were on diversion but have since resumed their regular routing.
It’s not the first time the area has seen gunfire. In 2005, 15-year-old Jane Creba was killed and six others were wounded on Boxing Day in a shooting just outside of the mall.
YouTube video: Aftermath of shooting at Eaton Centre