THIS is the first picture of the Toronto gunman who killed two and injured 13 after spraying bullets into busy restaurants and cafes on Sunday evening.
The “disturbed” gunman – identified by police as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain – died in a shoot-out with cops following his deadly attack.
Hussain, who lived in Toronto, suffered from psychosis and depression according to his family.
A statement from his family said their son had severe mental health challenges that the struggled with psychosis and depression.
They said medications did not help him and the interventions of professionals were unsuccessful.
They said: “While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.
“Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives.”
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
- A gunman opened fire on a busy street in Toronto on Sunday night killing two people and injuring 13 others
- He has been named by police as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain
- The “disturbed” killer killed himself after an “exchange of gunfire” with police, reports local media
- A nine-year-old girl is fighting for her life after being gunned down in the horrific mass shooting
- Video footage shows the man walking down the Greektown area of the city on Danforth Ave before opening fire with a handgun
- Canadian investigators said Tuesday there was no link to “national security”
- Several of the victims have “significant injuries”
The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada’s Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the autumn. Her family said in a statement they were devastated.
“She was … smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss,” said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon.
The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said.
Chilling footage of the moment he opened fire in a Toronto restaurant, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl has emerged.
The terrifying video shows Hussain – dressed in all black – walking quickly in the busy Greektown area of Danforth and then opening fire into at least one building, leaving 13 injured.
Canadian investigators said Tuesday there was no link to “national security” in the mass shooting.
Several other victims reportedly suffered “significant injuries”. Some of those wounded were treated at the scene, while others were taken to local hospitals.
“At this stage, based on the state of the investigation, which is led by the Toronto police service, there is no connection between that individual and national security,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.
My evening was nice until I heard shooting right out of my place on the danforth. So scary!! The gun violence in Toronto is crazy. pic.twitter.com/eNHLlUlp6r
— n
(@nsxoxoii) July 23, 2018
Emergency crews were dispatched to near Christina’s restaurant on Danforth Avenue shortly before 10.20pm local time on Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear whether the shooter had been killed by police or by self-inflicted gunshots although Police chief Sanders said the man died after an “exchange of gunfire”.
Toronto’s Greektown is a lively residential area with crowded Greek restaurants and cafes.
A witness told the Toronto Sun: “We heard a loud bang and I just looked to my left and I saw a guy in a black hoodie, just standing there, pointing at one of the storefront windows and the glass was just shattered.”
Jody Steinhauer told CBC News she was at Christina’s restaurant with her family when she heard what sounded like 10 to 15 blasts of firecrackers.
She said she was told to run to the back of the restaurant.
“We started to hear people scream out front,” Steinhauer said.
John Tulloch said he and his brother had just got out of their car when he heard about 20 to 30 gunshots.
“We just ran. We saw people starting to run so we just ran,” he said.
Andreas Papadopoulos, a bartender at the Greek restaurant Mezes, said: “There was a whole bunch of commotion. There is lots of blood here.”
Jessica Young, an employee at Second Cup, said she saw the attacker: “I looked to my side and saw the shooter through the window. He saw me, or he saw my co-worker or someone, and pointed the gun and shot through the window.”
No one inside the café was injured, she said.
She told the Toronto Star: “He was probably no taller than me, wearing a black baseball cap, dark clothes. He had light skin. I think he had short facial hair. That’s all I could make out. I was shaken, terrified, I guess. It’s not every day you almost get shot.”
A woman named Diana said she had been working at Demetres café, where she was serving a family that included the little girl who was shot.
She said she saw a gunman aim at the restaurant and heard him fire about three shots through the patio doors.
A woman who only gave her name as Mary said she was in Pantheon restaurant, when she saw a young girl being placed on a stretcher and taken into an ambulance.
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Deaths from gun violence in the city jumped 53 percent to 26 so far in 2018 from the same period last year.
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario tweeted that his “heart goes out to the victims and loved ones of the horrific act of gun violence in Toronto”.
Arcade Fire, a Canadian band, were performing in Toronto on Sunday night and sent their “love to those affected” on Twitter.
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