{UAH} Shots fired at Yorkdale Mall after ‘altercation’ between two groups of men, police looking for suspects
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Shots fired at Yorkdale Mall after 'altercation' between two groups of men, police looking for suspects
Police are investigating after shots were fired and panic broke out at Yorkdale Mall Thursday afternoon following an altercation involving at least six men.
No one was injured by gunfire in the incident, police said, but two people were hurt in the scramble to escape the mall, sustaining a leg and arm injury respectively. Police described the injuries as minor.
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People stand outside Yorkdale Mall, which was evacuated after shots were fired. Police confirmed they are looking for two suspects in the shooting. (CAROLINA TOCA)Two groups of men, with at least three in each group, became involved in an altercation, Toronto police Supt. Rob Johnson said.
"At some point, one of the individuals from one of the groups discharged a firearm at least twice, a handgun."
The incident occurred in the south-east corner of the shopping centre about 2:15 p.m., Johnson said, near the Starbucks. After the shots were fired, the suspects fled south-east, which is the direction of the TTC.
Subway trains bypassed Yorkdale station for about three hours in the wake of the shooting. The shopping centre was evacuated, locked down and closed for the rest of the day. It will reopen Friday at 10 a.m., a spokesperson said.
Those who were in the mall when the shots rang out described a scene of terror.
Carolina Toca, who works in the mall, was walking near Nordstrom, right next to the Starbucks, when she heard three or four shots fired around 2:50 p.m.
"Everyone started to run like crazy," she said.
She ran to a store nearby where she said she was locked in with about 15 other people before mall security helped them evacuate. Nordstrom employee Jessica Signorello said that she saw a "stampede of people run into the store."
Sarah Frame was back-to-school shopping with her 14-year-old daughter Amelia at Aritzia when she heard screaming.
Police are investigating after shots were fired and panic broke out at Yorkdale Mall Thursday afternoon following an altercation involving at least six men.
No one was injured by gunfire in the incident, police said, but two people were hurt in the scramble to escape the mall, sustaining a leg and arm injury respectively. Police described the injuries as minor.
Two groups of men, with at least three in each group, became involved in an altercation, Toronto police Supt. Rob Johnson said.
"At some point, one of the individuals from one of the groups discharged a firearm at least twice, a handgun."
The incident occurred in the south-east corner of the shopping centre about 2:15 p.m., Johnson said, near the Starbucks. After the shots were fired, the suspects fled south-east, which is the direction of the TTC.
Subway trains bypassed Yorkdale station for about three hours in the wake of the shooting. The shopping centre was evacuated, locked down and closed for the rest of the day. It will reopen Friday at 10 a.m., a spokesperson said.
Those who were in the mall when the shots rang out described a scene of terror.
Carolina Toca, who works in the mall, was walking near Nordstrom, right next to the Starbucks, when she heard three or four shots fired around 2:50 p.m.
"Everyone started to run like crazy," she said.
She ran to a store nearby where she said she was locked in with about 15 other people before mall security helped them evacuate. Nordstrom employee Jessica Signorello said that she saw a "stampede of people run into the store."
Sarah Frame was back-to-school shopping with her 14-year-old daughter Amelia at Aritzia when she heard screaming.
"We looked out through the entrance of the store into the mall and just saw a mob of people all running in one direction with a look of terror on their faces," she said.
At the balcony of our hotel room while watching people get out of Yorkdale Mall. #yorkdale
Not knowing what to do, they got on the ground and hid in clothing racks in a corner of the store. An alarm was beeping and telling them to stand by for further instruction. But they knew it wasn't a fire drill.
After a scary 15 minutes, employees told them to evacuate.
There were "tons" of kids in the mall, as it was packed with families back-to-school shopping and teens out on their own, Frame said.
Amelia said they had a quick list of things to get at the mall, and it wasn't supposed to take long.
"You always sort of hear about shootings happening on the news, but you never think it will happen to you," she said. "And then when it does, it's really scary."
Maven Sekhon, who had gone to Yorkdale for a work lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, said when she saw people running past her, she initially didn't think much of it.
"We saw pretty much everyone running and as they got closer they seemed more and more terrified, so we started running," Sekhon told the Star over Twitter. "It's terrifying because we were almost in the area of the shooting … less than five (minutes) before it happened."
In the mall's food court, Eric Wang and his family, who are visiting from Vancouver, were just finishing their meal when they heard what sounded like "distant gunshots."
In the commotion, everyone scattered. Wang hid with one of his kids in the men's washroom with many others. A few minutes later he got a text from his wife that she was safe, too, hiding in the women's washroom with their younger daughter.
While he says he's glad no one got hurt, Wang, who has family members in Toronto, said it's concerning that a shooting took place in such a public environment.
"It definitely makes you think about safety in Toronto. Next time, we'll think twice before visiting," he said.
Patrice Tremblay, who was working at a Scotiabank branch inside the mall, said he thinks "Toronto is still safe, compared to other big cities."
After the shots rang out, a throng of panicked people forced themselves inside the office, looking for a hiding spot.
"So I was thinking, yes, the vault is safe, but all of us can't fit in it," he said, as he grabbed his bike to head home after evacuation.
He said he's concerned about the increase of gun violence but philosophical about it.
"Shooting is unfortunate, but we can't stop living."
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Police said employees and customers who left their belongings inside the stores can call 416-256-5097 to make arrangements with Yorkdale Shopping Centre security in order to get their things.
On Twitter, Mayor John Tory said he was "relieved" no one was shot and thanked Toronto police and first responders.
"Whether it is Yorkdale Mall or anywhere else in Toronto, people should not have to worry about gun violence breaking out — at any time," Tory wrote.
Police released two suspect descriptions shortly after the shooting. The first suspect was described as a black male in his 20s, wearing a hoodie and blue jeans. The second suspect was described as mixed-race male in his 20s, with a skinny build and standing about five-foot-nine, carrying a black handgun. Whether more suspect descriptions will emerge when police finish reviewing surveillance footage remains to be seen. Any witnesses are asked to call police at 416-808-3200.
This is the second time this week shots have been fired at a GTA mall. On Tuesday, at around 7 p.m., York Regional Police responded to gun shots fired at Vaughan Mills Mall, south of Canada's Wonderland. A 22-year-old man was injured. The same man was later charged by police with several firearms-related charges.
In March 2013, one man was killed and another wounded after an evening shooting in Yorkdale Shopping Centre's parking lot. At the time, detectives said it was the result of a confrontation between two groups that spilled outside, and no bystanders were harmed. Another mall shooting, the Eaton Centre shooting from June of 2012, has been back in the news recently as a second trial for Christopher Husbands, the man convicted of two counts of second degree murder, is set to be held sometime this September. Husbands opened fire in the mall food court, killing two men and injuring five bystanders.
"We looked out through the entrance of the store into the mall and just saw a mob of people all running in one direction with a look of terror on their faces," she said.
At the balcony of our hotel room while watching people get out of Yorkdale Mall. #yorkdale
Not knowing what to do, they got on the ground and hid in clothing racks in a corner of the store. An alarm was beeping and telling them to stand by for further instruction. But they knew it wasn't a fire drill.
After a scary 15 minutes, employees told them to evacuate.
There were "tons" of kids in the mall, as it was packed with families back-to-school shopping and teens out on their own, Frame said.
Amelia said they had a quick list of things to get at the mall, and it wasn't supposed to take long.
"You always sort of hear about shootings happening on the news, but you never think it will happen to you," she said. "And then when it does, it's really scary."
Maven Sekhon, who had gone to Yorkdale for a work lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, said when she saw people running past her, she initially didn't think much of it.
"We saw pretty much everyone running and as they got closer they seemed more and more terrified, so we started running," Sekhon told the Star over Twitter. "It's terrifying because we were almost in the area of the shooting … less than five (minutes) before it happened."
In the mall's food court, Eric Wang and his family, who are visiting from Vancouver, were just finishing their meal when they heard what sounded like "distant gunshots."
In the commotion, everyone scattered. Wang hid with one of his kids in the men's washroom with many others. A few minutes later he got a text from his wife that she was safe, too, hiding in the women's washroom with their younger daughter.
While he says he's glad no one got hurt, Wang, who has family members in Toronto, said it's concerning that a shooting took place in such a public environment.
"It definitely makes you think about safety in Toronto. Next time, we'll think twice before visiting," he said.
Patrice Tremblay, who was working at a Scotiabank branch inside the mall, said he thinks "Toronto is still safe, compared to other big cities."
After the shots rang out, a throng of panicked people forced themselves inside the office, looking for a hiding spot.
"So I was thinking, yes, the vault is safe, but all of us can't fit in it," he said, as he grabbed his bike to head home after evacuation.
He said he's concerned about the increase of gun violence but philosophical about it.
"Shooting is unfortunate, but we can't stop living."
TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the day's top news from the Star's award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter.
Police said employees and customers who left their belongings inside the stores can call 416-256-5097 to make arrangements with Yorkdale Shopping Centre security in order to get their things.
On Twitter, Mayor John Tory said he was "relieved" no one was shot and thanked Toronto police and first responders.
"Whether it is Yorkdale Mall or anywhere else in Toronto, people should not have to worry about gun violence breaking out — at any time," Tory wrote.
Police released two suspect descriptions shortly after the shooting. The first suspect was described as a black male in his 20s, wearing a hoodie and blue jeans. The second suspect was described as mixed-race male in his 20s, with a skinny build and standing about five-foot-nine, carrying a black handgun. Whether more suspect descriptions will emerge when police finish reviewing surveillance footage remains to be seen. Any witnesses are asked to call police at 416-808-3200.
This is the second time this week shots have been fired at a GTA mall. On Tuesday, at around 7 p.m., York Regional Police responded to gun shots fired at Vaughan Mills Mall, south of Canada's Wonderland. A 22-year-old man was injured. The same man was later charged by police with several firearms-related charges.
In March 2013, one man was killed and another wounded after an evening shooting in Yorkdale Shopping Centre's parking lot. At the time, detectives said it was the result of a confrontation between two groups that spilled outside, and no bystanders were harmed. Another mall shooting, the Eaton Centre shooting from June of 2012, has been back in the news recently as a second trial for Christopher Husbands, the man convicted of two counts of second degree murder, is set to be held sometime this September. Husbands opened fire in the mall food court, killing two men and injuring five bystanders.
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