A gun was fired inside a bathroom at a Toronto high school after a fight involving six individuals broke out there on Jan. 12, police said.
The incident, which slightly injured an outreach worker who tried to stop the fight, happened at East York Alternative Secondary School at about 1.10 p.m.
The inspector confirmed one bullet was discharged from the firearm.
“It was fired into the ground area and ricocheted off the wall and the projectile ended up inside the worker’s shoe,” he told reporters.
“The outreach worker suffered very minor injuries [but] was taken to a local hospital for precaution.”
Albanese said the six individuals fled before police arrived. They were last seen on foot eastbound on Cosburn Avenue, where the school is located.
‘We Are Very Fortunate’
Police have not recovered a weapon involved in the incident, Albanese said.“We are very fortunate that nobody was seriously injured in this incident, but having said that every time something like this happens it is very concerning for the police, it is very concerning for the Toronto District School Board and for the students alike,” he said.
“Just because someone was miraculously safe from further injury in this doesn’t mean it is any less concerning for us.”
About 130 students attend East York Alternative Secondary School, which runs from Grade 9 to 12, according to Ryan Bird, spokesman for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). “I think just around 60 today were present at the school.”
Bird said members of TDSB’s professional support services team will be at the school on Jan. 13 for “anyone that wants to talk about this [incident].”
“We are very happy that everyone is okay after this incident this afternoon. We are going to make sure that we are supporting our students and staff here,” the spokesman said.
The shooting is the latest addition of violent incidents that occurred at a Toronto school in recent months.
