| Advertisement |
June 17 (UPI) -- A shooting during the Toronto Raptors' championship parade Monday left four people injured, police said. The shooting happened at about 3:45 p.m. at Bay Street and Queen Street West near Nathan Philipps Square in downtown Toronto where the rally was being held.
Advertisement
Dignitaries were giving speeches following the completion of the parade, which had begun about an hour earlier, when the shots rang out, forcing the master of ceremonies to pause the celebration to inform the crowd of the emergency while some in attendance began running from the crowded area.
Toronto police said four people, including one woman, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Officers arrested three people and recovered two firearms in connection with the shooting.
Andrew Brown-Kerr, 25, said he witnessed the crowd panic after hearing the shots ring out.
"We tried our best to escape," he told the Toronto Star. "We saw a lady get trampled, a pregnant woman fall. We saw some kids getting trampled and parents trying to protect them."
Mayor John Tory, who attended the ceremony and awarded star forward Kawhi Leonard with a key to the city, thanked the police in a statement for their assistance to "most unfortunate shooting after an otherwise spectacularly successful day."
"It is disappointing and I'm sure a source of anger for more than just me that anyone would carry a gun and discharge it at what was otherwise a joyous celebration," he said. "I hope those found responsible will be held to account to the full extent that the law permits."
The Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 114-110 on Thursday to take home their first NBA championship.
Leonard, who recorded 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, was presented with the second Finals MVP award of his career.
