Toronto nightclub has liquor licence suspended after fatal shooting

A Toronto nightclub has had its liquor licence suspended following a fatal shooting earlier this month.

The shooting took place inside the EFS Social Club on King Street near Bathurst Street just after 3:30 a.m. on July 17.

Two people sustained gunshot wounds as a result.

A 26-year-old man, identified as Pardeep Brar of Brampton, was rushed to hospital in critical condition but later succumbed to his injuries. The other victim, a 24-year-old woman, was taken to hospital in serious condition and has since been treated and released.

In a news release issued on Friday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario confirmed that it has issued an order suspending the club’s liquor licence immediately and will begin proceedings to revoke the licence.

The regulatory body is alleging that the club violated a condition of its licence which required that “every entrance to the premises during operating hours be staffed with at least one security person equipped with a metal detector and that the device be used on every person entering the facility, with no exception.”

“Those who hold liquor licences in Ontario are required to operate with honesty and integrity. In the public interest, they also must fulfill the obligations under the LLCA and the conditions on their licence. The AGCO takes a compliance-focused approach to regulation, and our goal is to work proactively with licensees to meet their regulatory obligations. But in cases that involve a significant breach impacting the public interest, the AGCO will take strong regulatory action to protect the public,” Registrar and CEO of the AGCO said in the release.

The AGCO said in the release that it reviewed surveillance footage from the night of the shooting, which led it to believe “that a metal detector was not being used on every person entering the facility.”

So far no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide.