Two people are dead and two more are seriously injured after what police describe as a “gun battle” outside of a Scarborough plaza early on Wednesday morning.
The shooting took place in a plaza near Ellesmere Road and Oakley Boulevard near Midland Avenue at around 2:30 a.m.
Det. Rod Benson told reporters on Wednesday that there was a “significant” number of shots fired during what appears to be an exchange of gunfire.
Peel Regional Police: “Nearly all of the firearms that are used in carjackings and home invasions are illegal firearms that are illegally smuggled through the US.”
And yet Justin Trudeau wants to take guns away from law-abiding Canadians?https://t.co/TTs0E4GGlP pic.twitter.com/z8Kqw0M2ny— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 23, 2024
One male was pronounced dead at the scene. A female victim would later die in hospital from her injuries. Two others were brought to a trauma centre to be treated. No further information was given of the victims.
Benson did not say how many shots were fired and that forensic officers were still finding new shell casings in the plaza.
“Several hours after the fact, they are still in the process of finding them and marking them so that they can be photographed,” Benson said.
One firearm has been located. It is not clear if the firearm belonged to any of the victims.
“It certainly appears to have been a gun battle,” said Benson, according to CTV News. “At this point, we don’t have any suspect information. That will be something we will be able to provide probably later today or possibly tomorrow.”
“We are beginning a very robust video canvas. So we will be searching for video and speaking to witnesses,” Benson added.
Duty Insp. Todd Jocko told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that he understands incidents like these can create significant concern for the community.
Premier Doug Ford chastised people bringing their “problems from everywhere else in the world” to Ontario after a shooting targeting a Toronto Jewish school.
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“Please know that we are dedicating all necessary resources to this investigation and the residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area for the time being.”
He also noted that rainfall has made the investigation more difficult: “Certainly rain is a factor when we are doing any kind of investigation on scene,” he said, noting that officers have had a considerable amount of time to process the scene already. “Rain is not always our friend when it comes to this kind of investigation.”
