WATCH: Two people were found shot to death in a condo unit near Queen and Dovercourt. Lama Nicolas reports.
TORONTO — A woman made a dramatic escape from the scene of a deadly shooting in Toronto that left two men dead Sunday morning.
Police were called to the area of Queen Street and Dovercourt Road just before 7:30 am Sunday on reports of “several gunshots” being fired. The shooting happened in a 22nd-floor condo unit at 36 Lisgar St., just south of Queen Street.
On Monday, police released the identity of the two men fatally shot. Abdiweli Abdullahi and Mohamed Abdiwal Dirie, both 26, both of Toronto, were pronounced dead at the scene suffering from “obvious trauma,” police said.
Global News spoke with a woman who lives next to the unit where the shooting occurred.
Ellie Bergeron said she woke up to the sound of gunshots and found a panicked woman on her balcony.
“We’re on the 22nd floor and this girl climbed over the balcony onto mine for safety,” Bergeron said Sunday, standing outside the condo building.
“I took her in, and I asked her what was wrong. And she was just pacing all about, saying like ‘if I’m in danger I’m going to run, I don’t care who I’m with’.”
Bergeron said she tried to calm the woman, offered her a glass of water and told her to stay in the apartment if she felt unsafe. The woman declined and said she was going back to the other unit.
She said the woman seemed “completely out of it” and appeared intoxicated.
“So she left and then about two minutes later we heard, like, the most blood-curdling scream, ever,” said Bergeron. “My heart sank, I couldn’t believe what I heard and she slammed on my door and I went to go open it but she was running away.”
Bergeron then called 911.
She called it a “party unit” and said it seemed like there had been a party going on for three days straight. She said two men may have lived there.
After the woman ran from the scene Bergeron locked her doors and stayed inside until police appeared.
“I couldn’t believe that that happened right next to my unit.”
Police would not comment on the woman who Bergeron helped and there is no word on her condition.
Homicide investigators said they have an idea of who they are looking for and have surveillance video to assist in their investigation. Police would not say if it was a targeted attack.
“We’re investigating their identification and we’re going to make next of kin notification,” said homicide Det. Tam Bui.
He said there were reports of several parties in the building the night before but would not confirm if one had taken place in the unit where the shooting happened.
“We have identified a number of witnesses,” said Bui. “We are looking for anyone who might have any information [as to] what happened this morning on the 22nd floor of this building.”
“Anyone who might have heard or saw anything suspicious. Anyone that might know the occupants of this unit.”
Police could not confirm if the deceased men lived in the unit where they were found.
West Queen West is a popular, high-density area with shops, art spaces, restaurants and bars.
With files from Lama Nicolas and Adam Miller
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