TORONTO – Top city officials are reassuring residents that Toronto remains “a very safe city” despite a recent rash of shootings and stabbings throughout the GTA.
Since Friday, there have been five shootings in the city, including a fatal drive–by in the downtown core on Friday afternoon.
Three people were hospitalized after a shooting near a baby shower on Eglinton Avenue West on Saturday night.
READ MORE: Three people injured in shooting outside baby shower
The city has seen at least five stabbings since Friday as well, including three separate incidents early Saturday morning.
Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders said the weekend’s violence is an outlier.
“You’ve got to remember this is one of the largest cities in North America and violence does occur, in any urban city and Toronto’s not going to be an exception to that,” Saunders said.
“Toronto is one of the, if not the safest city in North America, so it’s a blip. We have these blips. We have these weekends.”
READ MORE: Police seek female suspect in unprovoked downtown stabbing
Tory reiterated Saunders’ sentiments.
“I remind the people of Toronto is that this is a very safe city and our police service does an excellent job and the people are peaceful people,” Tory said.
Saunders acknowledged that shootings are on the rise in recent months.
“I can say that the shootings have gone up and we’re on it as best as we can, utilizing the resources we have for us in order to bring those numbers down.”
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