Eaton Centre Shooting: Toronto Police Hint Fatality May Have ‘Gang’ Issues
“It was out of the blue” - Witness
The man who was killed in the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto may have certain undetermined connections to a gang, police said.
Ahmed Hassan, 24, was killed in a brazen attack when a gunman shot him inside Toronto's Eaton Centre in the middle of the day on Saturday.
Seven others, including a pregnant woman, were injured in the incident. The pregnant woman, Tasnia Mahmood, went into labor and was rushed to the hospital. A family member told The Globe and Mail she was doing fine although "still in pain."
Eaton Centre is the biggest and busiest mall in downtown Toronto.
Marcus Neves-Polonio, a mall worker, was in the food court when he saw a man draw a gun and start firing.
"It was out of the blue... As soon as I heard the gunshots, I ducked under the table," he told National Post.
Another witness said she heard about 15 shots during the incident.
Meanwhile, Toronto mayor Rob Ford had called on possible witnesses to help police and "ensure those responsible are held accountable." He and also made sure the shooting would not translate to a reflection of Toronto, saying, "This is the safest city in the world."
Acting Deputy Chief Jeff McGuire also made an appeal to the media to not link the incident to the general picture of Toronto.
"One idiot with a gun on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Toronto does not speak to the state of the city . . . please do not gauge the city on what we saw yesterday," McGuire told a news conference.
Police are already hunting a suspect, but they are withholding any information on the shooter's identity. They were careful against linking the shooting to the gang, but they did say the victim had gang connections.
"The key problem is that nobody wants to speak out and take this gang culture seriously," Neo, a news reader, commented.
"One idiot with a gun... does not speak to the state of affairs of the city of Toronto," acting deputy chief Jeff McGuire was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, in Brisbane, police are looking into two drive-by shootings that may be related to feud between bikie gangs. Police said at least six bullets got through the front window of the Bandidos clubhouse in Woolloongabba between 4:00 and 4:30 am Monday. Several more bullets were fired into the signage of Bandidos outside the building, which was unoccupied at the time.
It will be recalled that Bandidos member Jacques Teamo was shot at Robina Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast on April 28.