An Instagram video reportedly shows the Toronto shooter. The gunman shot 14.
A 29-year-old gunman wearing all black randomly opened fire with a handgun on people who were frequenting cafes and restaurants along Toronto’s popular Greektown restaurant strip on Danforth Avenue, killing 2 people – an 18-year-old woman and 10-year-old girl – and wounding 13 more.
The shooter has now been identified as Faisal Hussain, a retail worker who is the son of Canadian parents of Pakistani origin, according to Global News. You can read more about him here.
The 15 victims were strewn over a large area in Greektown in a horrific scene that has traumatized Canadians; Toronto was already struggling with rising gun violence. The shooter, who is from Toronto, fired into businesses, shot a child, and, by one witness account, “executed” a woman. A video emerged that appears to show the shooter, wearing a cap and carrying a bag, suddenly open fire as he walked down the sidewalk. The picture above is a screenshot from that video. You can see the full video below. The gunman later died in an “exchange of gunfire” with police.
The woman who died has been named as Reese Fallon. According to CP24, she was “a recent high school graduate from Toronto’s Malvern Collegiate Institute, and planned to study nursing at McMaster University.”
Reese Fallon
Andrew Mantzios, a witness, described the shooter as having “this horrible expression on his face” as he fired, seemingly randomly. “And then a lady tried to run and she fell down,” he told Globe and Mail. “He turned around and shot her point blank, two or three times.” The witness said the suspect shot into businesses, including Caffe Demetre, a dessert shop. Both of the deceased victims are Canadian, authorities said. The teenage woman who died is from Toronto, and the girl is from the Greater Toronto Area.
Police provided no details about Hussain’s background. Toronto’s Special Investigations Unit said on July 23 that it’s still working to confirm the suspect’s identity.
Hussain’s Family Released a Statement Framing the Shooting Around Mental Health But Witnesses Described a Chilling Executioner
Photos from scene outside home of alleged #Danforthshooting suspect #FaisalHussain in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood via @mattybing @andrewglobal @globalnewsto
Faisal Hussain’s family – his parents – released a statement that said they were “utterly devastated.” The parents’ names were not given. There has been no mention of a wife or children, although it’s not clear whether Faisal Hussain was married.
In the statement, Faisal Hussain’s family wrote that their son “had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life.” They said they unsuccessfully tried to get him intervention and added, “we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.”
Mantzious told the news site that a woman was “executed,” and added that people were “falling all over the place – maybe seven, eight, nine of them.” The shooting broke out around 10 p.m. Mantzious also said: “But the guy … had this look on his face, while I saw his profile, like he was screaming at something and shooting.”
Toronto police later confirmed: “16 people shot in total (includes shooter), 8 women (including 10yr old girl) and 8 men. Three have died, (18yr old woman, 10yr old girl and the shooter). That leaves 13 still in hospital with minor to life-changing injuries.” Police say it’s too early to say whether terrorism is involved, but they haven’t ruled it out. The suspect is a 29-year-old man whose name has not been released. Police said on July 23 that they are seeking judicial authorization to execute a search warrant.
Toronto Police officers stand watch at Danforth St. at the scene of a shooting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 23, 2018.
“I’m keeping everything open. Looking at every single possible motive for this; when you have this many people struck by gunfire, it’s a grave concern,” said Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders. “I certainly want to find out exactly what it is, so I am not closing any doors or any chapters on this. I certainly don’t want to speculate… I don’t know why he did what he did, and he won’t be able to tell us because he is deceased.”
In a second press conference on July 23, 2018, the chief said authorities still are not certain of the motive and would not speculate. “We do not know why this has happened yet,” he said, adding that the victims range in age from 10 to 59. The people in the hospital have injuries ranging from minor to serious, he said.
#UODATE @TPSOperations Chief Mark Saunders says 1 female dead, little girl in critical, shooter dead. Detonation was precaution. #Danforthshooting
The alleged video of the shooter was first posted to Instagram. The Instagram user, @ArielAnise, wrote, “WARNING disturbing content @TorontoPolice @CBCToronto Shooting outside our window at Chester and Danforth ? praying for victims.” You can watch the video below, but be aware that it’s troubling as it shows the gunman open fire. The Instagram user then deleted her page but not before the video spread on the Internet. Heavy viewed the video on the original page before it was deleted.
Instagram video captures gunman opening fire in Toronto Greektown shooting t.co/OCYkEleGFW
Part of the shooting occurred outside Christina’s Restaurant. Multiple victims were seen lying on the ground, reported The Toronto Sun. You can see a roundup of videos and photos from the scene here.
The #Danforth at Chester and Broadview this morning. My neighbourhood. It’s awful in every way. But we’ll be strolling, eating and drinking along there as soon as the tape is down. Keep your wits, Toronto.
#danforthshooting
Andreas Papadopoulos, a bartender at the Greek restaurant Mezes, told The New York Times that employees thought the gunfire was fireworks at first. His co-worker went outside to see and “was quickly caught in gunfire. Another co-worker who pulled the person back inside…was shot in the hand and taken to a hospital.”
“There was a whole bunch of commotion,” he said to The Times. “There is lots of blood here.” Witness Michael Ryan described the scene as “just carnage.”
A Child Was Listed in Critical Condition & Another Witness Described the Gunman ‘Shooting Aimlessly’
Toronto Police officers stand watch at the foot of Danforth St. at the scene of a shooting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 23, 2018.
The chief confirmed that the first deceased victim was a female and that a small child was also shot.
“We have a young lady that is deceased,” the chief said in his first public update. A girl in critical condition was 8 or 9 years old, he said. A second person died after that briefing; that person’s age is not yet clear. Saunders said it appears that the shooter died from gunshot wounds, but police were still trying to figure out whether the wound was self-inflicted. He said there was an “exchange of gunfire,” with police officers.
A witness speaking on CP24 said the shooter was dressed in black and “running around shooting at people aimlessly” before possibly shooting himself. The witness said even before the police announcement that she believed at least one woman had died. “Two young girls were lying down on the street shot,” she said.
PHOTOS: Numerous people shot along Danforth Av in #Toronto‘s Greektown. Reports of at least 10 victims including children. Patients are spread across several blocks in the area. Mass casualty response from @TorontoMedics @Toronto_Fire.
Some witnesses heard as many as 25 shots, by one account. Merella Fernandez, a CTV reporter, described the scene as a popular area with restaurants and said witnesses reported hearing more than a dozen shots.
Jeremy Cohn, a digital journalist with Global News Toronto, wrote that victims “are spread across many blocks.”
City News Toronto wrote on Twitter that the crime scene “encompasses a large area and a number of victims have suffered significant injuries.” The mass shooting occurred in the area of Danforth and Logan Avenues.
It’s not the first mass tragedy to strike Toronto. Alek Minassian is accused of ramming a van into pedestrians, killing 10 people, earlier in the year. He had “praised mass shooter Elliot Rodger and referenced a misogynistic online community of angry celibate men in a Facebook message,” reported Telegraph.
According to Vox, Minassian “pledged allegiance to something called the ‘Incel Rebellion.’ This is not an organized militant group but rather an ideal developed by the so-called ‘incel’ movement — an online community of men united by their inability to convince women to have sex with them.”
Witnesses Described Helping Wounded People After the Man Opened Fire & Police Say He Shot at ‘Groups of People’
BREAKING: Multiple people shot on Danforth Av in Greektown. Victims are spread across many blocks.
A police news release says “a man was walking along the street on Danforth Avenue when he began shooting at groups of people several times.”
Tanya Wilson, the owner of Skin Deep Inked Tattoo Studio in Greektown, told CP24 she helped two panicked people with gunshot wounds who ran into her business. They were shot in the leg.
CP24 reported that a “suspicious device” was also found but didn’t clarify what it was. Authorities detonated it, the news site reported. Other news sites called this a suspicious package, and it might have been detonated merely as a precaution.
Scene of shooting from Danforth and Logan. #breakingnews
Nicholas Lemon wrote on Twitter that he was at the location where the shooting occurred. “There has been a mass shooting about 2-3 blocks along the Danforth in Toronto where I currently am located. We are safe. But the street has 2-3 dozen EMS, police, fire, etc., vehicles. 5-10 victims (there are unconfirmed death/s). More to come. #torontoshooting #massshooting,” he wrote.
Horrific. Toronto Police confirm to us 9 people shot by Danforth and Logan. Police say shooter is dead. A massive police presence. @CP24
Toronto’s Greektown on the Danforth’s website describes it as “the largest Greek neighbourhood in North America and one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Toronto! Visit our part of town and experience a neighbourhood alive with interesting restaurants, boutiques, shops, markets, cafes, and a host ofwonderful experiences.”
Something is going on around here (Pape and Danforth). Be careful out there. #Greektown #Danforth
Reports on Twitter said early on that there were multiple victims. “#Breaking – Multiple victims after reported shooting on the Danforth in #Toronto,” wrote CP24’s Stephanie Smyth. Breaking Toronto, a site that monitors police scanners, wrote, “So far… Female GSW to the Thigh, Male with 2 GWS’s to the legs… Female unknown GSW, Child struct (sic) and will be taken to Sick Kids…. Female GSW to the thigh.”
“Two more victims located with Gunshot wounds to the lower legs. Trauma Ctr’s will only be taking the most serious. Other hospitals will be assisting with Non-life threatening,” added Breaking News Toronto.
My evening was nice until I heard shooting right out of my place on the danforth. So scary!! The gun violence in Toronto is crazy.
The site alleged early on that police scanners indicate a child was among the victims, which police later confirmed. “This is a large crime scene. ETF officers are also in the area. If you don’t need to be in the area stay away,” Breaking Toronto wrote on Twitter.
The site added, “Patients located at Logan and Danforth. There is now a second location west of Logan and Danforth with patients.”
Police Were Taking Witnesses in Buses to Be Interviewed About the Shooting, Reports Say
People look out the window from a restaurant as Toronto Police afficers stand watch at Danforth St. at the scene of a shooting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 23, 2018.
Merella Fernandez, a reporter with CTV, wrote on Twitter that Toronto Police “have buses in the area to take witnesses to divisions to be interviewed.” A man named Jeremy Barker wrote on Twitter, “We heard the shots and live just north on Logan… At 10pm on a summer night it is often filled with families and kids…”
Law enforcement rush to scene of a mass shooting in Greektown, Toronto t.co/VQnOK84Yxb – @WiredSources
Toronto has been struggling with an uptick in gun violence. “Deaths from gun violence has jumped 53 percent to 26 so far in 2018 from the same period last year, police data last week showed, with the number of shootings rising 13 percent,” reported Reuters.
People expressed anger and fear on Twitter.
Mass shooting 300 ft from my house. Won’t be sleeping tonight … #danforth
TORONTO — Three people died in a shooting rampage that took place in the popular Toronto neighbourhood known as Greektown, including a suspected gunman, Ontario’s police watchdog said Monday.
The Special Investigations Unit says two civilians were fatally shot when a man made his way down Danforth Avenue on Sunday night, spraying bullets along the way. Police said 12 people were injured in the attack.
The SIU said the 29-year-old suspect, whose identity has not been released, later exchanged gunfire with police officers and was eventually found dead nearby. The arm’s-length agency that probes incidents involving police in which someone is killed said it has opened an investigation into the alleged gunman’s death.
Police escort civilians away from the scene of a shooting in Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood. Canadian Press / THE CANADIAN PRESS
No information had yet been released about the two shooting victims even as police continued to blanket the scene that’s home to dozens of restaurants, small businesses and family homes.
Police Chief Mark Saunders previously said a woman was killed and a girl, aged eight or nine, was in critical condition.
There was no word on the suspected gunman’s motive.
Witnesses posted many photos and videos, including a clip that appears to show a man, clad in black with a bag at his side, walk a few steps before lifting his arms in front of him as gunshots ring out.
Tom Bender was in his apartment above the Second Cup on Danforth when he heard a Bang! Bang! in the distance. He went to his window and saw nothing at first. Then he heard another bang, closer, then another one. He heard someone on the street yell “He’s got a gun!” Then a Bang! BANG! right outside his window. He ran back and away from the street and stayed there, deep in his apartment, until the police came.
Percy Fuchs said he was at a nearby A&W last night when shots rang out.
“At least 7 or 8, I stopped counting” he said. “I didn’t see anything, I just heard it. You could hear the shots and then everybody started showing up.”
Neighbourhood residents visiting the scene of the shooting said they’re struggling to process the deadly incident.
A police officer escorts a civilian away from the scene of a mass shooting in Toronto on Sunday, July 22, 2018. Frank Gunn/CP
Police escort civilians away from the scene of a shooting in Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood. Canadian Press / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Mardan Reyimu was driving east on Danforth at about 10:30 Sunday night when he came up against a police blockade. They told him to get out of his car, leave it and walk away. Around midnight, Reyimu gave up and took a cab across the city home.
On Monday morning, just after seven, Reyimu stood on Logan, waiting again for his car. “They told me to come back when it is sunny,” he said.
Police are telling business owners they don’t know what time they’ll be allowed to open. “It’s the SIU’s investigation,” one officer told a store owner at the south corner of Hampton and Broadview. “What happened,” the woman’s daughter, who looked about six, asked the officer. “I’ll let your mom answer,” she replied.
Danforth remained barricaded east to Carlaw Monday morning. Confused commuters, the sleep still in their eyes, found themselves blocked from the street, and the Chester subway station, by police tape and police officers at every intersection.
Broken glass and blue gloves, abandoned on the road, are all that’s left on Bowden Street Monday morning, where police are said to have encountered the shooter. A single police car sat on the taped-off side-street, half a short block from Danforth, where the man died.
An official from the SIU stood outside the tape.
Toronto police on Danforth Avenue, July 23, 2018. Richard Warnica/National Post
As recently as five years ago, this stretch of Toronto’s Danforth was home to working class bars and souvlaki restaurants. As Toronto’s red-hot housing market spread east, the area gentrified, rapidly, moving from middle, to upper to near high class.
The stretch of street blocked off, where police say the man walked, shooting last night, is now littered with craft breweries, expensive restaurants and the other trappings of rapid, upwardly-mobile change.
It remains, however, a neighbourhood of families. On an average summer Sunday night, the sidewalks spill out with kids and their parents, teens on dates, walking awkwardly hand-in-hand.
Police at Logan and Danforth Ave, July 23, 2018. Richard Warnica/National Post
Danforth near Chester Avenue, July 23. 2018. Richard Warnica/National Post
“There’s a lot of good people here,” said Gord Cheong who lives blocks away. “There’s a lot of people who come to the Danforth, to Greektown, but it’s generally quite quiet. So this is unusual, and disturbing.”
On Monday, Howard Lichtman of the Greektown of the Danforth BIA was in obvious shock at what had transpired.
“If you had to pick a place where it wasn’t going to happen, it would be the Danforth” he said.
He wasn’t at the scene last night but said that from what he had been hearing, service workers on the Danforth deserved high praise for how they reacted. There is “no playbook” on such a scenario, he said.
“They didn’t run away,” he said. “As soon as the bullets stopped they were helping people. I think that’s a reflection of the Danforth and the city itself.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a statement of support via twitter.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible tragedy on the Danforth last night in Toronto, and may the injured make a full recovery,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote Monday morning. “The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave — and we’ll be there to support you through this difficult time.”
This post will be updated as more information is learned about the Toronto shooting.