Toronto shooting: gunman kills five in residential unit

Police in Canada shoot dead suspect after receiving reports of an active male shooter in Vaughan on Sunday night

Five people have been shot and killed in a residential unit in a Toronto suburb before the gunman was killed by police, authorities have said.

Police were called to a residential building in Vaughan, Ontario, at about 7.20pm on Sunday to reports of an active male shooter who had shot several victims at a condo in Vaughan, Ontario.

Mass shootings are rare in Canada and Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world.

“When police arrived, an interaction occurred between the officers and a male subject and the subject was shot. He was pronounced deceased at the scene,” York regional police said in a statement released late on Sunday.

“Horrendous scene,” York police chief James MacSween added. “Six deceased. One of them is the subject. The other five are victims.”

Another person was taken to hospital where they remain in a serious condition but are expected to survive.

MacSween said he didn’t have details on whether the shooter was a resident of the building.

Constable Laura Nicolle told CNN the incident was the “most terrible call I’ve seen in my entire career”.

Nicolle said in an earlier news conference it appeared the victims were from more than one unit.

Ontario’s special investigations unit, which becomes involved when there is a death or serious injury involving police, is investigating.

Police have not identified the suspect or named the deceased.

Police evacuated the building at 9235 Jane Street, north of Rutherford Road, but MacSween said there was no further threat to the community. He said they hoped to have residents back in their units within hours.