Some victims remained in critical condition following a fatal weekend shooting at one of Canada’s most popular tourist malls and attractions: the Eaton Centre in Toronto.
One man was killed and seven others were injured when a gunman opened fire in a busy food court at the mall, a three-story centre that is one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations. The 285-story, six million square foot mall draws around 20 million visitors a year. It is particularly popular with group tours.
Police said two people were in critical condition after being shot, including a 13-year old boy. The 25-year-old man who was killed died at the scene, according to police.
Witnesses said hundreds of panicked shoppers sprinted for the exits. "The mall, which is popular with tourists, was evacuated," said the AP.
Also hurt was a pregnant woman, who escaped the bullets but was knocked down in the ensuing stampede.
A suspect was arrested but police released no other details Monday.
Widespread speculation was that the murdered man was the intended victim of a gang war or some sort of youth violence.
"The nature of the wounds indicate this individual was targeted," said Toronto police chief Bill Blair. "The others were innocent bystanders."
The shooting in a popular tourist area of Toronto was only steps from the site of another infamous crime: the killing of a 15-year-old girl struck by a random bullet in a shootout between rival gangs in 2005.
Newspaper columnists made the point that Toronto is a safe place with a very low murder rate for a major city. "This kind of thing almost never happens here," wrote the Globe and Mail.
The mall was named after Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from Northern Ireland whose cash-only, fixed price, money-back guarantee made him a rich man. Eaton department stores have cropped up all over Canada.
By David Wilkening
