Stabbing at Toronto subway station leaves woman dead, another in hospital
A woman is dead and another has serious injuries after a stabbing at High Park subway station on Thursday afternoon.
Toronto police said they received a 911 call shortly after 2 p.m. about a man armed with a knife on a train.
When officers arrived, they located two women suffering from stab wounds.
Toronto paramedics said they rushed the victims to hospital – one in life-threatening condition and the other in serious condition.
In a subsequent update, Duty Insp. Lori Kranenburg said one of the women had been pronounced dead. She added that the other victim's condition is now stable.
Kranenburg said a man was taken into custody at the scene.
"It's too early at this point in time in the investigation to know whether or not the parties were known to each other," she said.
When asked what led to the stabbing, Kranenburg said police do not yet have information on the circumstances surrounding the incident. She noted that there is no threat to public safety.
"As part of the investigation, video will be reviewed and hopefully that will provide some clues as to what occurred. There were a number of witnesses present at the time. Some have stayed and provided statements to police," she said, urging anyone who has not yet spoken to police to come forward.
In a statement, the TTC said Rick Leary, the chief executive officer, spoke to the Toronto police Chief James Ramer and offered his full support to the investigation.
"Safety of customers and employees is paramount to all the TTC does," the statement read.
"The TTC moves hundreds of millions of customers every year without incident, but is constantly looking at ways to improve safety."
The transit agency said additional special constables and uniformed staff were placed across its system to reassure customers. In addition, the statement highlighted some of the safety features and programs the TTC has put in place, which include adding more cameras and more visible staff to deter criminal acts.
Speaking to CP24 on Thursday afternoon, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the agency is concerned and shocked about the incident and called it unacceptable.
"We talk about safety being paramount to all that we do. And that's our commitment to both our customers and our employees. So on days like today, we understand that people feel a little shaken," Green said.
"Our response is to put more staff out there to make sure that people have an extra sense of comfort today.
He said the TTC will keep working to minimize violent incidents and make the system safe for its riders, including continued dialogue with the city, Toronto police and mental health support services.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a separate statement that he plans to meet with TTC officials and police to discuss further safety measures that could be implemented to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
"Like all Torontonians, I was shocked to hear about the fatal stabbing at High Park station this afternoon. We can never accept acts of violence of this kind happening anywhere in our city," Tory said.
"My thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who has lost her life. We hope for the quick recovery of another woman who is in hospital with injuries."
Shuttle buses are running between Keele and Jane stations as subway service has been suspended on that portion of Line 2 following the stabbing. The TTC noted that shuttle buses are not stopping at High Park Station due to the incident.
The stabbing is the latest violent incident on the TTC this year. In June, a woman died after being set on fire while on a TTC bus at Kipling Station. In April, a woman was pushed onto the tracks at Bloor-Yonge Station and suffered a broken rib. She has since filed a lawsuit against the transit agency.
Toronto police had said they would increase their visibility on the TTC following a string of violent incidents earlier this year.
TTC employees have also been attacked several times this year, with the most recent incident earlier this week when a female operator was assaulted and robbed while on duty.
The attack prompted the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113, which represents transit workers, to call on the TTC to do more "to prevent all forms of violence towards transit workers."
The union released a statement following the stabbing, reiterating their demand for action from the TTC and the city.
“ATU Local 113, along with the citizens of Toronto, are outraged at these repeated acts of violence on public transit and demand that the #CityofToronto and the #TTC take transit safety seriously and now act with urgency,” the statement read. “Waiting is not an option."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.