Tragic News: One Innocent Person Murdered While Seven Are Injured In Daytime Shooting At Toronto’s Eaton Centre!!!
One dead after food-court shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre
ALEXANDRA POSADZKI
TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Saturday, Jun. 02 2012, 7:05 PM EDT
Last updated Saturday, Jun. 02 2012, 10:49 PM EDT
Toronto police have finished searching the Eaton Centre and are now combing through surveillance tape of a shooting that killed a 25-year-old man and left several others injured Saturday evening.
Among those hurt is a 13-year-old boy who got sent to hospital in critical condition, a 20-year-old man also with life-threatening injuries and a pregnant woman who was knocked down in the chaos and went into labour, according to Toronto Police Constable Victor Kwong.
Two other women and one other man are seriously hurt.
No arrests have been made.
The area around the mall, Toronto’s largest shopping centre in the downtown core, was quickly blocked off Saturday evening and the Eaton Centre itself was evacuated and closed down. It was reopened a few hours after the 6:23 p.m. shooting.
Marcus Neves-Polonio, a 19-year-old busser at the food court, says he was walking when a man took out a gun and started firing near the Big Smoke Burger.
Mr. Neves-Polonio says he witnessed someone being shot right in the chest.
He says he saw two people on the ground.
He ducked under a table. “I just hoped he wouldn’t go in my direction,” he said. “I easily could have been shot, too.”
The scene became “mayhem” as people scattered, running for the doors, said Mr. Neves-Polonio.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford came to the mall after 9 p.m. to express his sadness.
“First of all, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the victims … hopefully they pull through. This incident tonight is absolutely terrible, and I’m here to offer my support to the police,” Mr. Ford told media.
“I was just at a football game this afternoon with 13-, 14-year-old kids … I hope the young man pulls through, and I’ll do everything I can to support him, his family and all the other shooting victims too.”
The mayor was joined shortly after by police Chief Bill Blair, who said that “we are very much at the early stages of this investigation.” He encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to contact 52 Division at (416) 808-5200.
He said police had a description of the suspect, but police were waiting to confirm several details before providing that description to the public.
“A lot of innocent people were hurt and a lot of innocent people were put at risk,” Chief Blair told media outside the mall. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of the individual or individuals responsible for this violence.”
Ujjawal Patel, 28, said he was inside the Eaton Centre when he heard 12 to 15 shots ring out. He quickly fled.
“I was so scared,” said Mr. Patel. “If it can happen in the Eaton Centre it can happen anywhere.”
One of the first to report the shooting was Toronto Blue Jays player Brett Lawrie, via Twitter.
It’s not the first time the area has seen gunfire.
In 2005, a 15-year-old was killed and six others were wounded on Boxing Day, 2005, when shots rang out just north of the shopping centre.
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