Two men are in hospital after shots rang out at the busy Lawrence Square Shopping Centre in North York this afternoon.
Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said police received “quite a number of calls” about gunfire inside the busy shopping centre located near Lawrence Avenue West and Allen Road at around 3:20 p.m.
“We had information that there were multiple gunshots heard,” Hopkinson told CP24. “Our officers rushed to the scene.”
Toronto Paramedics initially reported that only one person sustained gunshot wounds but Toronto police later clarified that two men were shot in the ordeal.
Speaking to reporters outside the scene, Sgt. Stephen Carmichael said police have collected “amazing” security camera video that appears to show a suspect “discharge a number of rounds” at the mall, ultimately striking two people.
One victim was located at the shopping centre and the other was found at “another location,” Carmichael said.
Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and “will be fine,” he said. Paramedics previously said one victim is a 27-year-old man.
“There were trickles of blood. He wasn’t bleeding very badly but there were trickles of blood,” shopper Edward Jacobs told CTV News Toronto.
Police say neither victim is cooperating with investigators.
“There is a four door white sedan that we’re trying to identify that appears to have been waiting for a male person of interest,” Carmichael said.
The suspects then took off and were last seen travelling north on Blossomfield Drive.
Carmichael said the investigation is “fluid” and therefore provided few other details about the suspects.
“This is a heinous act. As you can appreciate what happened with the Eaton Centre, there were a lot of people that were shopping. It’s just unfortunate that this type of violence takes place,” he said.
Back in 2012, two people were killed and several others injured after gunfire erupted inside the popular downtown shopping mall.
“I don’t know what this person of interest was thinking,” Carmichael added. “All I can say is that you will be found. Please turn yourself in with a lawyer.”
Police have closed off a portion of the mall near the food court and a section of the north parking lot while they conduct an investigation.