Lawrence Heights shooting has ‘shaken all of Toronto,' Olivia Chow says

CTV News

6 days ago

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow speaks at a National Day to End Gun Violence ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square on Friday.
Mayor Olivia Chow says that a shooting in Lawrence Heights earlier this week that killed one person and injured five others 'has shaken all of Toronto.'
The shooting took place in the vicinity of Ranee Avenue and Varna Drive, near Yorkdale mall, at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Police have previously said that a group of armed suspects walked up to another group of people and opened fire.
A 31-year-old man, who was in a wheelchair, was rushed to the hospital in life-threatening condition but later died. Eglinton-Lawrence Coun. Mike Colle previously told CP24 that the victim was left paralyzed from another shooting in 2018.
'This week was a challenging week for our city. As you know the shooting in Lawrence Heights has shaken that community and it has shaken all of Toronto,' Chow said
while speaking at a National Day Against Gun Violence ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square on Friday morning. 'I spent some time there to hear from friends of the people that were shot, community members and neighbourhood activists. There was a lot of grief and a lot of trauma. People are afraid in their neighbourhood, they are scared for their kids. But they will not let fear dictate their lives. They believe that change is possible.'
The shooting in Lawrence Heights was just the latest high-profile incident of gun violence in this city so far this year.
Earlier this week, police held a press conference to announce that they have arrested three people in connection with a March mass shooting at the Piper Arms pub in Scarborough that injured a dozen people.
Police also announced seven other arrests in connection with a rash of shootings connected to the tow-truck industry.
On Friday, Chow told attendees at the Nathan Phillips Square ceremony that she is 'disappointed' and 'devastated' by the violence.
However, she said that she has not given up and has committed to return to the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood within a few weeks to 'work towards peace.'
'The impacts of gun violence is far reaching. It impacts all of us,' she said.
So far this year, Toronto police have responded to 106 shootings and firearm discharges, which represents a 44 per cent decrease from this time last year.
A total of seven people have been fatally shot in Toronto so far in 2025, with another 47 sustaining various injuries.
Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with the Lawrence Heights shooting.