Toronto shooting: Fans flee Raptors parade after two shot at NBA championship celebration

Toronto police say four people were hospitalised with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries while three individuals are in custody

Clark Mindock
New York
Tuesday 18 June 2019 06:49 BST
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Fans run out of Nathan Phillips Square during the Raptors NBA Championship fan rally as gunshots are reported

Revelry has turned to chaos after four people were injured in a shooting at a celebration in honour of the Toronto Raptors's historic NBA championship win.

The shooting in the Canadian city sparked a panic among those partying near Nathan Phillips Square, where a reported millions of people had gathered in and around to mark the first franchise victory for the Canadian team.

Three suspects, and two firearms, were in police custody as Toronto police began their investigation, according to a tweet from the Toronto Police Department.

Video and images of the scene showed fans dressed in red fleeing, without a clear indicator of what exactly was happening.

According to Canada's Global News, Toronto police officers were called to the scene just before 4pm local time.

A tweet from Toronto police stated that four victims had been identified, two of which had serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

The Toronto Raptors did not immediately respond to the reports, but video posted onto the team's Twitter account showed the crowds packed with supporters on a bright day with clear skies.

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The Raptors won their first franchise NBA championship in history late last week, with a 114-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

The Toronto Police Department did not immediately identify a motive behind the shooting in Toronto.

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