Source: Toronto Sun
Toronto’s Police Chief Bill Blair maintains the city is not spiralling into another Summer of the Gun”
Toronto’s shootings in 2012 are on a similar pace with the numbers of 2005’s deadly Summer of the Gun — even though Mayor Rob Ford said “this is the safest city in the world.
So far this year, there have been 140 shootings in the city, up more than 30% from the 106 in 2011.
And in 2012, 175 people have been wounded by gunfire, more than a 40% increase over the 124 who were shot last year.
Over the last six weeks or so, bullets have been flying in the city almost daily and there have been numerous very public shootings.
The recent spate of violence touched off June 2 when a gunman opened fire in a crowded Eaton Centre food court, killing Nixon Nirmalendran, 22, and Ahmed Hassan, 24, and wounding five innocent bystanders, including a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and narrowly survived.
Christopher Husbands, 23, is now facing two charges of first-degree murder.
On June 18, there was the broad daylight execution of John Raposo, 35, at a cafe in Little Italy, which was teaming with Euro Cup soccer fans at the time.
Then, on June 30, a two-year-old girl was shot in the leg as her family left a barbecue in North York.
Barely 24 hours later, a 21-year-old man was wounded by gunfire at Woodbine Beach where thousands of people had been watching a Canada Day fireworks display.
Two weeks later, on July 16, gunfire erupted at an outdoor community barbecue on Danzig Street in Scarborough. A total of 25 people were shot, including the two who died – Shyanne Charles, 14, of Toronto and Joshua Yasay, 23, of Ajax and a 22-month-old who was grazed by a bullet. Another person was trampled. It’s been called the worst shooting in Toronto’s history.
Nahom Tsegazab, 19, has been charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. He is not charged in relation to the homicides.
Source: Toronto Sun
Observations:
Ron Nelson: As Torontonians, we can no longer refer to ourselves as “Toronto the Good” – as of this date, it’s “Toronto the Bad and the Ugly” – officially, “City of the Gun!”…read more.
Ron Nelson: At one point in time, this type of violence happened inside a dance (dancehall). At barbeques, there is little to no security and/or police presence in order to prevent these things from happening…read more.
Ron Nelson: What kind of sick mind(s) would do this? This is one of the worst incidents of gun violence in Canadian history – a wreckless disregard for life. Even a little baby was grazed by a bullet…read more.
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