2 people in serious condition after shooting at illegal downtown after-hours club

A man and a woman are in hospital in serious condition after a shooting at an illegal after-hours club in Toronto’s Entertainment District Sunday.

Sgt. Jeff Zammit said officers responded to a call around 4:30 a.m. about sounds of gunshots on Spadina Avenue near King Street West.

Officers arrived on scene at 64 Spadina Avenue to find a man who had been shot.

Toronto EMS said a man in his 20s was rushed to hospital in critical condition with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Zammit said officers in an unrelated matter at a different hospital, saw another woman who had been brought in by a friend who had also been shot at the club.

The after-hours establishment is “well-known” to police, who had shut it down last week due to a robbery investigation, according to Zammit.

“It’s difficult to close because it is not a licensed establishment, they don’t follow the rules, so it’s more difficult for police to close.”

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The owners of the building have not been cooperating with investigators.

There is no word on suspects at this time and police are urging anyone who may have been at the club last night to come forward.

Gary Thomas, who lives just around the corner from the scene, told Global News he had no idea the establishment was even there.

“It’s a very different area during the day.”

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Area councillor Joe Cressy says the city is doing its best to work with the police to put a stop to these after-hours clubs.

“These are illegal establishments. You can’t serve alcohol after 2 a.m., full stop,” Cressy said to Global News. “The city doesn’t issue these licenses. We don’t permit these uses, and so, this is an illegal and criminal activity that police are trying to shut down.”

“It’s also dangerous, as unfortunately last night’s tragic incident shows. In unlicensed illegal establishments, there’s not the same level of control and safety as there are in other locations.”

Cressy said what makes it so difficult for police to shut these places down for good is the fact that they are on private property. He stressed the need for owners to stop renting their properties to these illegal operations.

“Not unlike the very controversial discussion of dispensaries, where you have police warning landlords that they could be held responsible, you could see the same police instigation and escalation here.”

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Anyone with information is asked to call Toronto Police at (416) 808-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-TIPS.

With files from Erica Vella