Yahoo polls: Are you concerned about the rising gun violence in Canada? Have your say

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2 days ago

Yahoo News Canada readers weigh in on the rising gun violence across the country after an 8-year-old boy's death by a stray bullet in Toronto
Toronto was rocked by a heartbreaking incident over the weekend where an 8-year-old boy was fatally struck by a stray bullet while sleeping in his North York home. The tragedy sparked an overwhelming reaction from the public with calls for urgent action on gun control and public safety intensifying online.
The distressing incident spotlighted Toronto's ongoing struggle in grappling with gun violence incidents this year, including the notable mass shooting at Piper Arms Pub in Scarborough when three armed attackers opened fire indiscriminately on Mar. 7.
Yahoo News Canada wants to hear from you on this issue. Are you concerned about rising gun violence in your area? How serious is Canada's gun violence problem?
'Tragedy beyond comprehension': Canadians devastated following 8-year-old boy's death
The death of 8-year-old Jahvai Roy in the shooting on Saturday sent shockwaves across social media, resulting in a wave of shared grief and strengthened calls online for stronger action against gun violence.
Reacting to the child's catastrophic death, City of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow urged "gun violence must end in our city."
Toronto Raptors announcer Herbie Kuhn also spoke out on the "sickeningly disturbing trend" he noticed over the past years in regards to rising gun violence in the city.
Kuhn's Instagram post received plenty of responses grieving the loss of the 8-year-old child.
"This is tragedy beyond comprehension. A beautiful child in what should be the safest place he could possibly [be], his bed, shot and killed," an Instagram user wrote.
Canada at a glance: Regional trends in firearm-related crime
Canada is witnessing a troubling escalation in gun violence as firearm-related violent crime continues an upward trajectory.
The latest Statistics Canada report on the issue revealed that firearm-related incidents approached a 14-year high in 2022 before dipping slightly in 2023 — despite which the rate of firearm-related violent crime was 55 per cent higher compared to 10 years ago in 2013.
More specifically, the rate of homicides between 2014 and 2022 increased by 53.3 per cent nationally, before dropping by 14.5 per cent in 2023 — a notable year-on-year decrease.
Media reports from 2024 and 2025 so far reveal unusually high number of shootings, especially in the Greater Toronto Area. Hamilton had recorded 58 shootings as of early November, 2024, against 35 in 2023 — marking a record for the city. Meanwhile, York region and Peel also hit four-year highs as Peel Regional Police revealed seizing 157 illegal firearms between January and September 2024 — marking an 86 per cent increase over the same period a year before.
These alarming trends reflect a gradual shift in Canada's reality with a growing sense of unease in some of the nation's biggest metropolitan regions like Toronto.
In 2023, Canada's firearm-related violent crime rate noted a modest dip of 1.7 per cent, falling to 36.9 from 37.5 per 100,000 population in 2022 — a record-high level. However, the Statistics Canada report signalled an upward pressure on national violence levels overall despite the recent decline, masking stark differences across regions.
Major urban centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal witnessed a decrease in firearm-related incidents in 2023, but the ten-year trend only soared higher. Other areas including provincial urban south, provincial rural south and Indigenous and Northern communities saw an uptick.
Between 2013 and 2023, Prince Edward Island saw the biggest percentage change in the rate of firearm-related incidents with an increase of 362.5 per cent. Quebec is the only province or territory to see a decline in the rate of firearm-related incidents during those 10 years.