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TORONTO — Toronto police who attended the scene of a mass shooting that left 12 people injured, half of them seriously wounded, say they were “horrified” by the violence at a pub in the city’s east end.
Initial investigation shows three masked men entered Piper Arms at 520 Progress Ave. at 10:39 p.m. where people were celebrating the opening night of the pub, and sprayed the place with bullets, said Supt. Paul MacIntyre of Organized Crime Enforcement on Friday night.
One of the men was armed with an assault rifle while the other two had handguns, he said.
“They walked into the bar, they produced their guns, and they opened fire indiscriminately on the people sitting inside the restaurant, inside the bar,” he said.
“I can tell you, this was a brazen and reckless act of violence that’s really shaken our community and the city itself. Myself and the other officers who watched the video — we were horrified by it. We’ve seen a lot of shootings over the years, a lot of video … but tonight’s shooting. Now these guys just looked at the crowd and opened fire. It is horrible.”
The motive for the shooting remains unclear and police are chasing down all leads, including looking for a vehicle used by the suspects, he said. The victims range from in their 20s to mid-50s, he added.
Painting a picture of the scene inside the restaurant after watching surveillance videos, MacIntyre said it was “kind of eerie.”
People who were sitting at tables that had food and drinks, or standing at the bar suddenly ducked for cover as shots rang out while others ran to the basement, he said. Some were wounded from bullets while others were injured from flying glass, he said.
“It looks like we had a mass casualty shooting inside a pub,” he said.
“The drinks are still on the table. The food is still on the table. People’s purses, shoes are still in there. There’s a lot of damage to the walls. There’s glass walls that are shattered. There’s blood all over the floor. … It’s a big scene. It’s a messy scene.”
On Saturday morning, the site was quiet with yellow police caution tape encircling the crime scene. Police cruisers with flashing blue lights were parked outside while officers were seen entering and leaving the area. The occasional vehicle that drove by slowed down to take a look.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw gave few details after he visited the site and met with officers late Saturday afternoon, saying it was “very, very early in the investigation.”
“What I’ll say is what I’ve said many times before. Gun violence continues to be a priority for us, and we’re laser focused on addressing those concerns,” he told reporters.
“One is too many. That’s the bottom line. And when I walk through that scene and I see the nature of this incident, it’s simply incredible nobody was killed. Absolutely incredible. And it’s an incredibly brazen act of violence, and we need to do everything we can to resolve this.”
Shortly before noon, two servers showed up at the restaurant, assuming they would be working their shifts. One of them was wearing her uniform, black with the yellow logo of the pub.
Pooja Reddy said she was on the schedule as a host and food runner and was stunned to hear about the shooting.
“I’ve been here a couple of times for training and today was supposed to be my first shift,” she said.
“It’s very shocking and I feel very bad for whatever happened. They were just sitting there eating. They did not deserve to have a fate like that.”
Parush Madaan, who works as a car detailer, said he was originally planning to visit the restaurant’s grand opening on Friday night. He said the chain is frequented by mechanics and others in the auto repair industry.
But his plans changed, he said, and he went elsewhere with friends until he heard about the shooting.
“When my friend called, we just came here and saw 10 or 15 police cars (last night),” he said, looking over at the pub Saturday afternoon.
Premier Doug Ford called the shooting a “brazen act of violence that will not be tolerated.”
“The Toronto Police Service has my full support as they bring those responsible to justice,” he posted on social media.
Mayor Olivia Chow, who got the news of the shooting while she was working at city hall late Friday, said she is “deeply troubled.”
“It is troubling because of the magnitude of the shootings and the number of people hurt, and I don’t want to speculate as to the why and how,” Chow told reporters Saturday morning at a news conference.
The Toronto police website shows the city has seen a total of 37 shootings this year with two fatalities and 14 injuries.
Scarborough Centre Coun. Michael Thompson visited the site early Saturday.
“It must have been extremely frightening for all those people who were celebrating and enjoying themselves and having a good time when this brazen and cowardly act was conducted on those attending this opening of this new business in the community.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2025.
David Friend, The Canadian Press