As a result of gunfire, possession of a firearm is debated in Toronto

TORONTO (AP) – Of all the things that people in Toronto are horrified at following the shooting that killed two and wounded 13, it stands out: The responsible man had a handgun.

America tired – where there are about 300 million guns of all kinds – possession of a handgun may seem trivial.

But in Toronto, the very idea that someone would have a handgun, let alone bring it out in public. is almost incomprehensible. Now City Council is considering a motion urging the federal and provincial governments to ban the sale of handguns and ammunition in Canada's largest city. Joe Cressy, City Councilor, who was to propose the idea of ​​banning handguns and ammunition Tuesday

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto: "Why did anyone in this city have he needs a rifle? "

How the shooter of Sunday's tragedy got his weapon. Officials have found no reason to explain why 29 – year – old Faisal Hussain targeted diners while enjoying a hot summer night in the restaurants and cafes of the popular Greektown district. Toronto, killing a ten-year-old girl and an eighteen-year-old woman. His parents said that he had suffered from a serious mental illness all his life.

Cressy acknowledged that the ban on handguns is not the only thing Toronto should do to combat gun violence, which is on the rise in the city. He said that crime prevention programs, helping people who are released to find a job, mentoring children and diversion programs should be strengthened, while addressing people's mental health needs.

an increase in gun violence that prompted Toronto police to deploy dozens of additional officers over the weekend. The city recorded 23 firearm homicides this year, compared with 16 deadly murders in the first half of 2017.

Canada revised its laws after the country's worst shootings in 1989, when gunman Marc Lepine killed 14 gunmen. and himself at École Polytechnique de Montréal. It is now illegal to possess an unregistered handgun or some kind of quick fire weapon. Canada also requires training, personal risk assessment, two references, spousal notification and criminal record checks to obtain a license.

Canadians have long been comforted in the tranquility of their community and are worried. "There is no handgun culture here," said Toronto resident Alison MacLean, shaking her head and wearing a T-shirt with symbols of a sign of peace, a heart and a moose. "Handguns are not part of the common discourse."

Prior to 2012, about 75 per cent Approximately 100 of the illegal firearms in Canada came from the United States. In 2017, however, about half came from national sources, which ended the idea that most of Canada's illegal guns came from across the border, Det said. Rob Di Danieli of the Gun Unit and Toronto Police Gangs

Canadian Firearms Owners Sell Their Weapons Illegally, he says

The Attractiveness from a quick sale with a high profit margin guns. According to Di Danieli, a man sold 47 rifles and brought in more than $ 100,000 over a five-month period. "They will get their license to become a gun dealer," he said. "A lot of people are so ready to blame big American bad guys, but we have our own little problem here."

A big difference between Canada and the United States is the second amendment to the US Constitution that gives Americans the right reach out. "Canadians, unlike Americans, do not have the constitutional right to carry arms in Canada," the High Court of Canada said in a 1993 ruling that banned convertible semi-automatic weapons . "Indeed, most Canadians prefer the peace of mind and sense of security arising from the knowledge that possession of automatic weapons is prohibited," said the court.

Another difference is that Canadian politicians are not beholden to groups. like the National Rifle Association, which gives millions of dollars to the American campaigns. Federal laws on federal elections limit contributions to political parties so that only individuals, not corporations or lobbies can donate.

As a result of Sunday's shootings, many said they were being reminded of miles (2414 km) away in Florida in February, when a former student entered a school with an assault rifle and killed 17 students and staff and injured 17 others.

"I was thinking about the victims at Parkland, and their strength," said Laila Hawrylyshyn, 24. "

She and a dozen of her classmates in a government relations class at York University attended the City Council meeting on Tuesday where Council members discussed gun violence. "Cressy said," A dying ten year old and one eighteen year old are pretty heartbreaking … I do not understand not what it is that as a parent to wake up and send your child to school and I wonder if they will be killed, this will not happen. is not a city where you want to live. "