Police make arrests in mass shooting at Toronto pub, string of related violent events

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2025 (297 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Three masked suspects who indiscriminately opened fire inside a Toronto pub in March are now facing attempted murder and other charges, police said Wednesday as they announced 10 arrests in connection with a string of violent incidents across the city. 

The mass shooting at the Piper Arms pub near the Scarborough Town Centre on March 7 left 12 people injured, nine of them with gunshot wounds.

On Wednesday, police showed video surveillance footage of the moment the three gunmen burst into the pub, which was celebrating its opening night, and began firing their weapons. 

One of the victims was shot six times and survived, Supt. Paul MacIntyre told a news conference.

Investigators said they have since connected the pub shooting with several other previously unsolved shootings and a robbery in Mississauga, Ont., all of which allegedly involved the same “network of individuals.”

A total of 10 people have been arrested, while one more suspect is still at large. They collectively face 203 charges, including 24 counts of attempted murder, police said. 

Police said while many of the incidents that led to the arrests have been linked to violence within the tow truck industry, that is not the case at this point in the Piper Arms shooting investigation. 

“Where it is connected is the group of people that we identified as being part of the tow truck shootings have also done the pub shootings,” MacIntyre alleged, adding that investigators are exploring the possibility that the suspects were hired for the shootings. 

He also said police are not treating the network of suspects as a gang. 

MacIntyre said many of the pub shooting victims are still dealing with “serious physical and emotional trauma.” In addition to people who were shot, some victims were injured by flying glass. 

The other violent incidents connected to the case occurred between March 1 and May 26 and included a shooting at a commercial plaza, a shooting at a tow yard and the shooting of a victim who was washing his vehicle at a gas station. In most cases, suspects arrived in stolen vehicles, police said.

“This kind of brazen violence, this disregard for human life is completely unacceptable,” Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said. 

“Members of our service and members of our communities continue to witness the horrific, traumatic and life-altering impact that gun violence has on our city. This needs to stop. We will continue to do everything we can to take dangerous guns and criminals off our streets.”

The announcement came a day after an unrelated shooting in North York left one man dead and five others injured.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.