Manhunt In Toronto After 3 Gunmen Open Fire In Pub: Police

Three men indiscriminately opened fire inside of a pub in Toronto on Friday night, injuring 12 people before fleeing the scene, authorities said.

The gunmen entered the Piper Arms Pub in the district of Scarborough just before 10:40 p.m., wearing masks while firing an assault rifle and two handguns, according to police.

“I’m happy to report, by the grace of God, that there’s been no fatalities,” Toronto Police Supt. Paul MacIntyre told reporters at the scene of the attack, which he said was captured in surveillance video that left him and other officers “horrified.”

“We’ve seen a lot of shootings over the years, a lot of video … but tonight’s shooting, these guys just looked at the crowd and opened fire. It was horrible,” he said.

Of the 12 people taken to hospitals, six suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The victims range in age from their 20s to mid-50s. A motive was not immediately known, he said.

MacIntyre told the Toronto Star that “if I were a betting man,” he would guess that the guns came from across the United States-Canada border.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking at a Saturday morning press conference, said she’s “deeply troubled” by the violence and that she is closely monitoring the situation with police.

“We don’t know at this point what’s the motive, we also don’t know where the suspects are at this point — police may or may not, but I’ll leave the police to comment,” she said.

A police spokesperson told JS late Saturday morning that there were no updates they could share.

The pub was celebrating its opening night when the violence unfolded, according to the business’ website and local reports.

Patrons were enjoying food and drink inside the establishment at tables and booths when the shooting abruptly broke out, MacIntyre told reporters.

“When you walk in, it’s kind of eerie. The drinks are still on the table. The food is still on the table. People’s purses, shoes are still in there,” he said, describing the scene’s aftermath.

The suspects are believed to have fled the scene by vehicle. A conclusive description of that vehicle was not immediately available, MacIntyre said.