Toronto Shooter IDed; Girls Ages 10, 18 Are Dead

Family of shooter Faisal Hussain, 29, says he battled psychosis
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 24, 2018 12:04 AM CDT
Family: Toronto Shooter Battled Psychosis
Desirae Shapiro and her mother, Gina Shapiro, friends of 18-year-old Danforth shooting victim Reese Fallon, mourn after visiting a makeshift memorial in Toronto.   (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)

One of the two people killed in Sunday night's mass shooting on popular Danforth Avenue in Toronto was a 10-year-old girl. The other wasn't much older: an 18-year-old recent high school graduate named Reese Fallon, who was attending a birthday party at a restaurant, reports the Toronto Globe and Mail. The younger victim hasn't yet been identified, but police have made public one more key name, that of the suspected shooter: Faisal Hussain, 29. Police say it's too early to declare a motive, but Hussain's family issued a statement saying he suffered from "severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life." It added that "medications and therapy were unable to treat him," but that the family never thought his illness would lead to such "horrific actions." The statement offered condolences to the victims.

“At this time, there is no national security nexus to the investigation,” said a spokeswoman for Canada's Ministry of Public Safety. In addition to the two fatalities, 13 people ranging in age from 17 to 59 remain injured, reports CTV News. Hussain also was fatally shot, but it was unclear Monday night whether he died by suicide or a police bullet. CTV also has a chilling video that shows the gunman walking on Danforth Avenue and opening fire with a handgun. The link is here, and while it doesn't show any victims, it may be disturbing. The avenue is filled with cafes, shops, and restaurants, and generally is bustling at night. Toronto Mayor John Tory sees one issue he thinks needs to be addressed in the aftermath. “This city has a gun problem, in that guns are far too readily available to far too many people," he says. (More Toronto stories.)

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