Police: 4 People Suffer 'Serious' Injuries in Shooting During Raptors' Parade
The Toronto Police Department confirmed a shooting occurred Monday near Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, where the Toronto Raptors were celebrating their 2019ย NBA championship:
Police originally said two victims suffered "serious but not life-threatening" injuries but have subsequently announced four people were treated for injuries related to the shooting. Three people were arrested in connection with the shooting as well.
According to Stephanie Smyth of CP24, police said one of the victims was a woman and were asking for fans to remain calm to avoid a stampede in the square:
The Toronto Star'sย Jennifer Pagliaro shared a video overlooking the celebration that appears to show fans running away from the scene.
Theย Toronto Sun's Antonella Artuso and CBC's Meagan Fitzpatrick shared a look at Nathan Phillips Square from ground level as word of the shooting spreadย (warning: video contains profanity):
According to Reuters'ย Tyler Choi, an estimated 2 million people traveled to downtown Toronto for the parade and victory rally.ย Sportsnet'sย Faizal Khamisaย reported some fans were camping out Sunday night in preparation for the event.
The city of Torontoย tweetedย at 11:59 a.m. ET that Nathan Phillips Square was at capacity and no more fans would be permitted in the area.
The Raptors won their first-ever championship after defeating the Golden State Warriors Thursday in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Toronto FC were the last major sports champions in the city when they won an MLS Cup in 2017.
