The number of homicides in Toronto are down 41 per cent in 2017 compared to the same period last year, following a series of fatal shootings that claimed the lives of three people over the weekend.
“We are consistent to where we were two, three and four years ago,” Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said. “We see every year in Toronto for long as there has been statistics, what we call clusters, which are multiple homicides within a short period of time.”
Police say Toronto experiences between six to 10 clusters a year. There have been 26 recorded homicides in 2017 as of July 23 compared to 44 in 2016 for the same time frame.
“No one has ever come up with what is a compelling investigation, but it does explain the history of this city, and I think that and the crime statistics provide people with a more nuanced understanding of this,” Pugash said.
“But let’s make this clear. What happened on the weekend is concerning and we’re responding very vigorously.”
READ MORE: 2 men dead, woman in serious condition after shooting at birthday party in Scarborough
In the early morning hours on Sunday, two men were killed and a woman was sent to hospital with serious injuries following a shooting at a backyard birthday party in Scarborough.
The shooting took place around 1 a.m. at Gennela Square and Morningview Trail.
Police identified the victims as Dwayne Campbell, 30, and Rinaldo Cole, 33, who were both pronounced dead on scene. The woman’s identity has not been released.
Investigators said as many as 200 people were at the party when shots rang out and more people could have been injured.
WATCH: Rash of violence raises worry among east-end Toronto residents. Shallima Maharaj reports.
A short time later, shots were fired around 2:30 a.m. inside McGradie’s Tap & Grill near Victoria Park Avenue and Ellesmere Road.
Paramedics transferred three men, a man in his 60s and a man in his 20s with critical injuries and a man in his 30s with serious injuries, to a trauma centre.
Two other victims made their own way to the hospital, according to police.
The third shooting happened in Malvern when shots were fired in a residential neighbourhood near Empringham Drive and McLevin Avenue around 6:45 p.m.
READ MORE: Police investigate fatal shooting in Malvern
Police said a male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Residents in Malvern told Global News that shootings in the community have subsided in recent years but they are concerned the violence may be on the upswing.
“To see that it’s still happening – we had a period of time before where it was really, really bad. Then we got a good break,” Alcia Watson said. “So for me to hear that now, it’s just like ‘wow.'”
Investigators are looking for a male suspect described as brown, in his mid-20s and with some facial hair. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and was seen speeding away on McLevin Avenue in a light-coloured four-door sedan.
READ MORE: 2 men make own way to hospital after alleged drive-by shooting in Scarborough
Local councillor Neethan Shan said the recent shootings in east-end Toronto is a sample of a bigger issue at play — the proliferation of guns in the community.
“What’s more worrying to me is the access to guns for teenagers and adults across the city, not just this part of the city,” Shan said.
When it comes to tackling the issue, Shan believes it warrants a response from all levels of government.
“Whether it be awareness programs and gun amnesty to get guns off the street, but also stricter enforcement and punishment for people who distribute and sell guns,” Shan said.
With files from Shallima Maharaj