TORONTO - Police Chief William Blair and Mayor David Miller on Monday committed to deploying more officers to neighbourhoods wracked with gun violence as two more people fell victim to a spate of shootings.
Twenty-eight people have now been killed with guns in Toronto this year, compared with 27 murdered with firearms in all of last year.
"There is no question that there are more guns being used in crimes and it's a serious issue," Miller said. "Toronto is a safe city. Crime is down. But that doesn't satisfy a shooting victim or his or her family."
The gunplay that has dogged Toronto prompted Blair last week to launch a guns-and-gang task force in the northwest part of the city, where he said an escalating gang war has increased gun violence.
This week's five victims -- two dead and three wounded -- bring to 37 the number of people struck by bullets in Toronto since late June. Of those, 13 have died. Last week alone, two died and seven were injured in a hail of gunfire that also seriously wounded a four-year-old boy after he was shot in front of his home.
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