Ajax, Ont., resident Peter Morgan says he visits Toronto’s Greektown neighbourhood on a regular basis to visit his brother, who lives near the area.
He says he was “shocked” to hear the news about Sunday’s mass shooting.
“It hit home a little bit,” said Morgan. “We usually make it a point to walk along the Danforth near… where this occurred.”
Morgan is one of many Durham residents who say they are surprised such an act of violence happened in the neighbourhood. The province’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, has identified the 29-year-old man who opened fire — killing two people and injuring 13 others — as Faisal Hussain from Toronto.
Katelyn Yuill says the incident has made her scared. “I’m more aware of what’s going on,” said the Ajax resident. “I keep an eye… on the people around me.”
The two people who were killed in the shooting are an 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl.
“Having two young kids and being right next to Toronto, especially after the van attack,” said Jamie Stober, who is also from Ajax, “it’s scary. It’s very, very scary.”
Durham police have also responded to the mass shooting with the hashtag #TorontoStrong:
Morgan says he visits Toronto often, and despite Sunday’s incident, he will continue to visit Greektown.
“These are the kind of things that you can’t really predict,” said Morgan.