Police believe they know identity of Eaton Centre shooter

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TORONTO, ON (NEWS1130) – Police in Toronto say they believe they know who was responsible for Saturday’s deadly shooting at the Eaton Centre.

While no suspects were arrested in the sweep of the mall, investigators say surveillance video has been key in identifying their suspect.

A 24-year-old man has been identified as the deceased victim. Police believe he may have been targetted and may have had gang affiliation.

Another of the victims may have also been a target and had gang affiliations, however that is still under investigation, according to police.

Besides the deceased, six others were hit by gunfire and rushed to hospital with various wounds, many of them considered serious.

One of them was a 13-year-old boy visiting from Port Hope. He was initially listed in critical condition after withstanding a bullet wound to the head, but he is now listed as in improving condition.

A 25-year-old female victim was also injured after receiving a bullet wound to the left leg. She has since been released from hospital.

The same remains true for a man, 25, who was released after suffering a bullet wound to the left leg.

Another 30-year-old woman suffered minor injuries when a bullet grazed her abdomen, and she has also been released from hospital.

One 22-year-old woman who suffered a gunshot wound to the hand refused treatment.

A 23-year-old man is still in hospital after sustaining a bullet wound to the neck and chest. His condition has been described as critical and police said his condition is the worst of the injured parties.

Finally, a pregnant woman was also injured as she was trampled and pushed as people fled the scene. She has been treated at hospital and both the woman and her unborn baby are doing well, according to police.

CityNews video: Toronto police Chief Bill Blair addressing the media

The shooting was an event that left a city shocked, a country stunned and is making headlines all around the world.

The afternoon shopping at the Eaton Centre, downtown Toronto’s largest and busiest mall, was interrupted Saturday after a gunman opened fire in the mall’s packed food court.

The shooting happened just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday, sparking a frenzied, mass evacuation from the downtown mall.

A Saturday shopping destination for many visitors and residents of Toronto, the Eaton Centre will likely never be the same for many people.

“All of the sudden we heard, bang bang bang, really, really fast, at least seven or eight times,” said one man.

“All of the sudden we heard gunshots, and I saw somebody walking, and I saw the white lights, everything was so sudden. I ran under a table and I couldn’t find my mom at first,” sobbed one young woman. “But then I found her and we had to hide in the kitchen for a while.”

The mall will remain closed Sunday, as police and forensics teams continue to investigate. The search for the shooting suspect continues as well, with police saying they have a description and will release it after reviewing more camera footage.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said investigators believe the gunman acted alone, putting hundreds of people at danger.

“There was a lot of people present when this gunfire took place, a lot of innocent people were hurt, and a lot of innocent people were put at risk,” Blair said.

Mayor Rob Ford also attended the scene Saturday night, condemning the shooting and sending his thoughts to the victims and their families.

“It rips me apart, I was just at a football game with 13 and 14-year-old kids,” Ford said of the young shooting victim. “It pulls at my heart strings.”

CityNews video: Mayor Rob Ford responds to fatal Eaton Centre shooting

In a statement, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said: “On behalf of all Ontarians, I want to express my condolences to family and friends of everyone involved in tonight’s shooting at the Eaton Centre. Those who were injured are particularly in Ontarians’ thoughts and prayers right now as we attempt to make sense of this instance of senseless, tragic violence in the heart of a peaceful city.”

“I know I speak for all Ontarians when I say that while we are saddened and shocked by today’s events, we will respond as we always have — with strength, determination and a desire to work together, and work even harder, to build communities that are safe, secure and free of gun violence.”

Many others have chimed in, including Olivia Chow, who Tweeted: “On flight back to Toronto. My thoughts and prayers are to those shot at the Eaton Centre and their families. Will drop by Yonge/Dundas Sq.”

Major international news outlets like CNN, ABC and Al Jazeera all picked up on the story; a testament to the massive impact of the shooting.

CityNews video: Shots fired inside Eaton Centre

Both Ford and Blair assured that everything is being done to bring the shooter to justice. Emergency Task Force officers responded to the shooting quickly but were unable to locate the shooter amongst the chaos.

In a statement, Eaton Centre’s property manager, Cadillac Fairview, said the mall will be closed to both shoppers and employees until further notice.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time,” company spokesperson Janine Ojah-Maharaj said.

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie was at the mall after playing an afternoon game against the Boston Red Sox when the shooting occurred. He described it as a chaotic scene.

St. Michael’s Hospital, which is near the mall, was briefly in lockdown mode, but it’s since been lifted.

Subway service was initially shut down between Bloor and Union stations for the investigation, but has partially reopened with trains currently bypassing Queen and Dundas stations. The 501 and 505 streetcars were on diversion but have since resumed their regular routing.

It’s not the first time the area has seen gunfire. In 2005, 15-year-old Jane Creba was killed and six others were wounded on Boxing Day in a shooting just outside of the mall.

YouTube video: Aftermath of shooting at Eaton Centre

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