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Two people were killed and 12 injured on Sunday night in Toronto, Canada's economic metropolis, in a shootout in which the alleged gunman died after an exchange of gunfire with the police.
Firing broke out in the late evening, wreaking havoc in Toronto's bustling Greek neighborhood, witnesses claiming more than 20 shots had been fired.
A young woman was killed on the spot and thirteen people injured, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders announced Sunday night, stating that a girl was in "critical condition". In the early hours of Monday, the security forces revised their balance sheet, now evoking two dead, in addition to the gunman, and 12 wounded.
Quickly arrived at the scene, the police opened fire on the shooter who was discovered moments later in an alley, dead, said the investigators.
The police chief pointed out that it was too early to say anything about the motivations of the 29-year-old gunman who used a handgun.
Man randomly fired pedestrians walking down Danforth Avenue around 10 pm (4 pm GMT) before targeting crowded restaurants.
"I promise everyone in Toronto, and even more to those who have been affected by this tragedy, that we will spare no effort in providing answers to this senseless attack, "said Toronto Mayor John Tory.
Neighbors said they heard a series of gunshots, followed by screams of people fleeing.
"There was a lot of shooting, shooting, then pausing, then shooting again, and then again, there must have been 20 or 30 shots." , "said a witness, John Tulloch, quoted by the Globe and Mail.
" It's an attack on innocent families and the entire city, it's a tragedy, another tragedy our city this year, "lamented John Tory, urging people to" stay calm "and avoid" drawing conclusions "about the motives for the shooting while awaiting the results of the police investigation.
In April, a man in a van drove over pedestrians in Toronto, targeting mostly women and killing 10 people and wounding 15 others, one of the deadliest attacks in the country.
– "Weapon problem" –
For the mayor, the Sunday evening shooting testifies to the fact that his city, the fourth most important city of North America, has "a gun problem".
"Weapons are too easily available to too many people," Tory said, although Canada's gun legislation is much more severe than in the United States, for example.
Last week, the Toronto police announced a plan to reduce gun violence, with some 200 additional police officers scheduled to be deployed between 7:00 pm and 3:00 am in sensitive areas of the city.
Toronto has recently been the scene of an increase in gun violence, mostly gang-related.
Between the beginning of 2018 and July 14, Toronto had 220 shootings, which cost life to 27 people, against 196 shots exchanges and 17 deaths for the whole year 2017, according to official statistics. This gunshot violence increased by 10% over the same period last year.
"My thoughts are with those affected by the tragedy that took place last night on Danforth Avenue", responded Monday morning on Twitter Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wishing "a speedy recovery to the wounded".
"Torontonians are strong, resilient and brave, and we will support them in this difficult time," he said from western BC, where he spends his family vacations.
In Athens, the Greek Foreign Ministry declared itself "deeply shocked by the abject shooting that hit the Greek quarter", offering its condolences to the victims and saying "in solidarity with the people and the Government of Canada" .
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