Toronto police say two people were seriously injured after a shooting inside of a business in the city’s north end on Thursday.
Police said officers were called to the area of Alness Street and Magnetic Drive, near Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue West, at 10:24 a.m.
Paramedics told Global News a woman was transported to hospital from the scene with serious injuries.
Police said a second victim — a man — made his way to hospital in York Region with the assistance of another person and was then rushed to a Toronto trauma centre.
“Our evidence tells us right now that this was in fact a robbery,” police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters.
“Two suspects arrived on scene, demands were made and people were shot.”
A third victim was treated at the scene for anxiety, he said.
The incident occurred inside of a moving company, Saunders said, adding that the robbery appeared targeted as no evidence was recovered at any other businesses nearby.
Reports from the scene indicate the shooting happened at Hercules Moving Company on Magnetic Drive.
“I just heard a big bang,” Dimea Fabok, who works in the area, told Global News.
She said someone came up to her shortly after the shooting and had her call 911.
“It was just a really, really panicky scene,” she said. “It’s very, very frightening. It’s too close to home — where we are actually working every day.”
Damon Moran, a contractor for Hercules Moving, said as he arrived at work, his boss mentioned over the phone that a shooting had happened.
Moran said he then saw police move into the business.
“They smashed in the window to my place of employment and pulled out two women that were inside hiding that were shaken up,” he said.
“The ladies inside were very shaken up.”
He said police then ushered bystanders into a nearby business and told them they were investigating a potential active shooter situation.
Police, however, have since said that the incident was solely an armed robbery.
Both suspects are believed to have fled the area on foot after the shooting, police added. No descriptions have been released.
“We’re looking for and appealing for anyone that saw anything in the area of Magnetic and Alness to please contact police,” Saunders said.
— With files from Catherine McDonald
Comments