In Canada, two parties have turned into horror. Two people were killed and six injured Saturday night in Ottawa in a shootout in the parking lot of a reception venue where two weddings were taking place, police said, who do not rule out any leads.
“I heard rapid gunfire, screaming, and then there was a pause before at least 15 or 16 more shots were fired,” said Nico, 28, who wishes not to disclose his surname. Two men, ages 26 and 29, living in Toronto, were killed, Ottawa police said. Americans are also among the six injured, she said, adding that their lives are not in danger.
“It was chaos”, according to a witness
The shooting occurred at 10:21 p.m. in the parking lot of a convention center in the south of the city, where two separate wedding receptions were being held simultaneously. “It was chaos. People ran in all directions,” continued the witness, adding that the police had been deployed quickly and in large numbers to the scene.
The police have “nothing” to confirm or suggest that the shooting is a hate crime “related to race or religious beliefs”, said Martin Groulx, police inspector. “But we are not eliminating this option,” he added.
Shootings “more and more frequent”
Several Canadian cities have observed a marked increase in armed violence in recent years with “increasingly frequent” shootings, according to the Canadian government. Since 2009, the country has noted an 81% increase in violent crimes involving firearms.