Queen St. West shut down by Toronto police after multiple people shot
Three men are in hospital this morning with serious injuries and a West Queen West sidewalk is splattered with blood following a triple shooting outside a popular downtown Toronto nightclub.
Firefighters scrub away blood from the sidewalk on Queen near Ossington after an early morning triple shooting pic.twitter.com/RuoQ9UApC8
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) July 8, 2019
Toronto Police were called to the area of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue around 2:30 a.m. this morning after multiple residents reported hearing gunshots.
Upon arrival, they found three male shooting victims with what TPS Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook called "varying degrees of injuries."
2:30 AM: Three people shot at the corner of Queen St W & Brookfield St (west of Ossington Av). Very serious injuries reported. Large crime scene includes a few area streets. ETF and K9 units were on scene, I'm told a gun was recovered behind a home. #Toronto pic.twitter.com/As7AHeBtM2
— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyCohnTV) July 8, 2019
All three victims were taken to hospital, one of them in life-threatening condition. Police have yet to reveal any information about the circumstances of the shooting, but their investigation appears to be centred on the corner of Queen and Brookfield Streets, directly outside Apt. 200.
Three males are in hospital after a shooting in the area of Queen and Ossington. Police say it happened around 2:30 this morning. This is a massive scene covering a one block radius on Queen between Ossington and Dovercourt @globalnewsto pic.twitter.com/GLhllqujM6
— Priya Sam (@PriyaSam) July 8, 2019
A significant stretch of Queen Street West — from Ossington to Dovercourt — remained roped off by police heading into the Monday morning rush hour.
Triple shooting on Queen West. EMS says 3 males suffering serious injuries. Investigation seems to be focused on Brookfield Street, just west of Ossington. Queen closed Dovercourt to Ossington. @BTtoronto @CityNews pic.twitter.com/ivXZLNFs1b
— Tammie Sutherland (@citytammie) July 8, 2019
Queen has since reopened to traffic, but investigators remain at the scene, parts of which are still off limits.
Lots of evidence markers on Brookfield St. near Queen & Ossington as police investigate triple shooting. 3 people in hospital with injuries. @CTVToronto pic.twitter.com/dBqYgvbiNV
— Heather Wright (@HeatherCTV) July 8, 2019
"I have spoken with Toronto Police and City representatives regarding the senseless early morning shooting at Queen and Ossington," wrote Spadina-Fort York councillor Joe Cressy in response to the shooting.
"The City has initiated the Crisis Response Program to provide support in the community. Please contact my office to be connected with them."
This has to stop! Why is gun violence tolerated in this city? It's a disgrace to us all.
— Ricky (@Rickshaw85) July 8, 2019
News of yet another last-call shooting in an area rife with bars and clubs has citizens and city officials on alert.
"The people that emerge from bars and places of entertainment early in the morning on many days of the week are a continuing challenge for us," said Toronto Mayor John Tory to reporters on Monday morning.
"But the real problem is not people coming out of places like that whether they have had a lot to drink or nothing to drink," Tory continued. "The real problem is people carrying guns in their pockets in the city and deciding they are going to use them."
Tory called the incident "profoundly disconcerting" and reiterated that he is "quite fed up" with the increasing amount of gun violence on Toronto's streets.
