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A shooting at a condominium in a Toronto suburb killed five people and injured one, officials said in a statement.
On Sunday, December 18, 2022, police reportedly responded to an active shooting incident in Vaughan, a city just north of Toronto, York. Upon arrival, the officers found a “horrendous scene," Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said during a news conference.
“Once the officers arrived they were met with … a horrendous scene where numerous victims were deceased."
Macsween said the gunman fired and killed five residents inside the building and seriously injured another, who was taken to a hospital. The assailant was reportedly shot and killed during a confrontation with the police officers inside the building.
Everything to know about the Toronto mass shooting
As per a statement released by York Regional Police on Sunday, December 18, police were alerted to an active shooting incident at a residential building in Vaughan, north of Toronto. The caller reportedly stated that a male shooter had shot several victims at the condominium.
When the police arrived, they allegedly got into an altercation with the gunman, who was shot during the encounter. The shooter died at the scene. In a statement, York Regional Police said:
“An interaction occurred between the officers and a male subject and the subject was shot. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Police found five victims dead at the scene, while another injured victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are yet to disclose the names of the victims or the shooter, as they have yet to notify the family of the deceased.
Officials did say that the victims were residents of different apartments but did not disclose the motive behind the shooting. Authorities are also yet to confirm if the shooter was a resident of the building.
Macsween, who described the Toronto incident as a horrendous scene, condoled the tragic incident and said:
“We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and their families.”
Macsween added that there was no additional threat to the community. In a statement, York Regional Police reiterated the comments, saying:
“The Emergency Response Unit has conducted a thorough search of the building to ensure there are no additional victims and that it’s safe. A police presence will be on the scene as the investigation continues.”
The incident comes on the heels of Canada’s government tightening gun control laws in a country that already has several gun regulations to keep gun violence in check. In October, sales, purchases, and transfers of guns were banned within Canada, further restricting access to handguns in the country.
