Two people are dead and a dozen injured after a man armed with a handgun walked along Toronto’s busy Danforth Avenue in the Greektown neighborhood Sunday night, randomly shooting pedestrians before opening fire on crowded restaurants, reports the Globe and Mail. The 29-year-old shooter, who was not immediately identified, was found dead in a nearby alley after an exchange of gunfire with police. The Toronto Sun said he shot himself. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders refused to speculate on a motive. This mass shooting comes just three months after a van attack in the city killed 10 people and injured 16 others.
Investigators combed the street Sunday night, placing coffee cups over dozens of bullets and casings left on the ground. Saunders said a young woman died and that several more victims were gravely wounded. A second person died Monday morning. A pre-adolescent girl was reported in critical condition Sunday night. Others were being treated in hospitals for various injuries. The 10 p.m. shooting spree lasted just minutes but spanned blocks, sparking terror in Greektown as diners and patrons ran for cover, some initially mistaking the gunshots as fire crackers. Andrew Mantzios was having a coffee with friends by the fountain at Danforth and Logan Avenues – a popular gathering spot – when he heard gunshots. He said the shooter, dressed in black, “had this horrible expression on his face.”