The incident happened around 7 p.m. yesterday when the parade was ending and the crowd was beginning to disperse. A man in his 30s was taken to hospital where he later died. A 22-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to hosptial where it is reported she is fighting for her life.
An 18-year-old man, described as a bystander, was slightly wounded when one of the bullets grazed his forehead above the eye. He was also taken to hospital.
The injured were treated at the scene by EMS workers who were out in force for the parade. Connie Christie, the EMS Deputy Commander was quoted in the
Montreal Gazette as saying:
Historically there are quite often incidents of violence at Caribana so we're always on guard for anything. You never know what's going to happen anywhere. That's just the way society has gone.
QMI Agency is reporting that the incident began as a brawl between five or six men. One of the men took out a gun and began firing into the crowd. A witness told
QMI that police yelled at the man who was holding the gun about six times to "get down." When the gunman failed to comply, he was shot by police.
The
Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly Caribana) was first held in 1967. What began as a small weekend event now ranks as the largest cultural festival in North America. The events, especially the parade, attracts thousands of tourists mainly from the Caribbean and the United States. It is estimated that the crowd attending yesterday's parade numbered over one million.
Toronto Police are refusing to comment on the incident as the matter has been turned over to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The
SIU investigates shootings and other major incidents in Ontario when police officers are involved.
