What We Know About the Toronto Mass Shooting

Toronto Police investigate a mass shooting at the Piper Arms Pub near the Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto on March 8, 2025. The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov

Investigators “will leave no stone unturned” in their search for three suspects who opened fire in a packed pub in Scarborough late on March 7, injuring 12 people, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says.

Demkiw was on-scene of the mass shooting the following afternoon at the newly reopened Piper Arms.

“We need these kinds of brazen acts of violence to stop,” he told reporters during a March 8 press conference.

“These are the kind of events that not only shake our city but the people who are here. I’d expect [they] will be dealing with this for a long, long time.”

The shooting remains under investigation. Here’s what we know so far.

Where and When It Happened

Officers received multiple reports of a shooting at the Piper Arms at 520 Progress Ave. in Scarborough at approximately 10:40 p.m. on March 7.

Supt. Paul MacIntyre of Organized Crime Enforcement described the scene as “eerie,” when talking to reporters in the early morning hours of March 8.

“The drinks are still on the table. The food is still on the table. People’s purses, shoes are still in there,” he said. “There’s a lot of damage to the walls. There’s glass walls that are shattered. There’s blood all over the floor.”

He described the scene as “big” and “messy,” noting that some of the patrons, including those who were injured, managed to make their way to the basement to hide, trailing blood as they went.

Who Was Involved

Three armed masked men entered the bar and began shooting “indiscriminately” into the crowd, MacIntyre said. He said one of the assailants was wielding an “assault rifle” and the other two were equipped with handguns.

The motive for the shooting has yet to be determined, and authorities are actively investigating all potential leads, including the identification of a vehicle used by the suspects, he said.

Who Was Hurt

Twelve people were injured during the attack, police said. Six sustained serious gunshot wounds and police reported March 9 that a seventh person was also grazed by a bullet.

An “injury previously believed to be from flying glass is now confirmed as bullet graze,” police said in a social media update. “All injuries are non-life-threatening.”

The remaining five people who were injured received cuts or lacerations from flying glass, police said. The victims ranged in age from 20s to mid-50s.

“When I walk through that scene and I see the nature of this incident, it’s simply incredible nobody was killed,” Demkiw said. “Absolutely incredible.”

Reactions

MacIntyre said he has watched a lot of footage over the years of shootings, but said this one was particularly disturbing.

“Myself and the other officers who watched the video, we were horrified by it,” he said. “These guys just looked at the crowd and opened fire. It was horrible.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he will be supporting Toronto Police in any way he can.

“The shooting that took place last night in Scarborough was a brazen act of violence that will not be tolerated,” he said in a March 8 social media post, adding that those responsible need to be brought to justice.

“My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and I’m praying that all those affected by this terrible shooting make a full recovery.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also took to social media March 8 to express concern.

“Horrified by the senseless violence in Scarborough that left 12 people wounded last night. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” he wrote. “May our police officers find the criminals responsible for this and bring them to justice.”

Mark Carney also weighed in on the shooting one day before winning the federal Liberal leadership.

“Every Canadian should feel safe at home and in their communities,” he wrote. “I’m offering my full support to the victims as they recover from this horrific event and to the first responders as they investigate.”

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the shooting “devastating.”

“A night out should never end in violence,” she said on platform X. “We must do everything we can to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.”

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also called the news “devastating.”

“The people of Ontario deserve to live their lives without fear,” she said on X. “More needs to be done. Make Ontario safe. Now.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she was “deeply troubled” by the shooting.

“I have spoken to Chief Demkiw and he has assured me all necessary resources have been deployed,” she said in a March 8 post. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

Appeal to Public

Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson is calling on Torontonians to “flood police with any and all bits of information” to help them catch the perpetrators.

“We are blessed that this unconscionable act has not resulted in mass fatalities,” he wrote in a letter posted to social media. “I encourage and plead with all citizens to call police with any scrap of information they might have. We will not be cowered by those among us who threaten our sense of security and our enjoyment of our city.”

Investigators are asking anyone with information, video footage, or eyewitness accounts to come forward.

“No matter how small and insignificant you may think your information is, if we get a lot of people calling us, all those little pieces of information fit together into a puzzle that we can see more clearly,” MacIntyre said.

The public can contact police or Crime Stoppers with information.

What Happens Now?

Police said the area can expect to see an increased police presence in the coming days.

Demkiw described the investigation as “fresh” and “active” but declined to speculate about the motive of the shooters. He said updates would be provided by investigators as more information becomes available.

“What I'll say is … gun violence continues to be a priority for us, and we’re laser focused on addressing those concerns,” he said. “We’re a big city with a long history, and we’ve had occasions where we’ve had these types of things happen, but one is too many. That’s the bottom line.”