Four people were reportedly shot Monday in Toronto near where 1.5 million people were reveling in the Raptors' NBA title victory.
The victims have serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police told Global News. Initially police said that two people had been shot, but later upgraded to four.
"We know that there are four victims right now that have gunshot wounds," Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters at the scene, according to Global News. "None of them are life-threatening at this point in time, but I'm grateful that the resolve to this situation was as quick as it was."
The incident happened around 4 p.m. at the southeast corner of Nathan Phillips Square. Police took two people into custody and recovered two firearms.
It was the first time the Raptors had ever reached the NBA finals in the team's 24-season history, CNN reported. Elation at the team's 114-110 win against the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals sent throngs into the streets of downtown Toronto.
When gunshots rang out, panicked revelers fled in all directions, according to Global News, and others ran in response as authorities urged everyone to remain calm.
Among those on hand were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the mayor of Toronto and the Raptors themselves, according to The Associated Press. They stayed onstage while the ceremony was briefly interrupted, AP said.
The parade began at 10 a.m. and ended at Nathan Phillips Square, where a stage was set up, The Washington Post reported. Raptors players arrived after 2. The victory ceremony wrapped up fairly soon after the shooting incident.
The shooting highlighted an increase in gun violence in the Canadian city, and Trudeau's government has pledged about $5.2 million to quell gun crime. The incident is bound to put gun control on the national agenda as a campaign issue in the upcoming federal elections this October, the Post noted.
