There have been 245 shootings so far this year, according to Toronto Police statistics, killing 24 people. Halfway through 2019 — which had a record 492 shootings that claimed 44 lives — March said shootings in the city had become an epidemic. (CBC)Toronto Mayor John Tory called the gun violence this past weekend "deeply concerning and unacceptable" and said the only way to reduce gun violence is to invest in programs and initiatives that address its root causes. (Mia Sheldon/CBC)It's fair to have thought the numbers might drop because of the ongoing pandemic, Wilson said. "The existing social and structural issues that we have in Toronto that have contributed to rising gun violence haven't been reduced or haven't been addressed through the pandemic," he said.

Source: CBC News July 20, 2020 22:25 UTC