Siouxie

Horrible to hear/read about - hope nobody here has been affected personally... also sad to just read that some were seriously injured or mortally wounded.
Sad times we live in.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...ting-1.4757409

Dorothy

It's awful news. There just aren't words for someone who would shoot 14 people, especially young children.

scrubbedexpat091

Sad.

Toronto seems to be having more frequent violence then most other Canadian city's. Hopefully the powers that be can find ways to try and reduce these events.

Danny B

Sounds like the shooter wasn't a terrorist, just a disturbed individual with severe mental health issues. I feel just as bad for his family as I do the victims.

Here is the entire statement from Hussain's family:

"We are at a terrible loss for words but we must speak out to express our deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son's horrific actions.

"We are utterly devastated by the incomprehensible news that our son was responsible for the senseless violence and loss of life that took place on the Danforth.

"Our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life. The interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. Medications and therapy were unable to treat him. While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end.

"Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives."

magnumpi

Shard

It might not be a "hate trigger" it might be schizophrenia or another severe mental condition. In any case, it is surprising that he could get his hands on weaponry, and indeed that someone with this condition could be free to walk the streets.

Almost Canadian

I suspect that that was because an expert determined that he wasn't a danger to others.

Siouxie

Or he took them from a friends home without their knowledge - or originally with the intent to end his own life, perhaps.'

It will likely never be known why - unless he left a diatribe somewhere online or scribbled words down on paper.. he is dead.

His family are understandably horrified and devastated.

Sad times.

Shard

If so, an incorrect determination. However, the psychiatrists may at least be able to shed some light on his motivations.

Almost Canadian

The reports suggested he was under the care of "professionals".

BristolUK

Planes sometimes crash under the care of pilots and half the lawyers in a court case lose.

scrubbedexpat091

Good point.

Doctors are not god, they are not predictors of the future, all they can do is base their opinion on the info that they have been provided by the patient, family members, police so on, if someone is homicidal but never tells anyone, never writes it down online, or otherwise never shows any signs, how is the doctor to know?

Psychiatry is far from an exact science.

No human is perfect in their profession.

Oakvillian

As ever, there appears to be more to the story than first reported. The family certainly seems to have had a rough time: this son diagnosed with mental health issues from a young age; a daughter killed in a car crash a few years ago; another son in hospital. It's this second son where things get a bit blurry... first he was reported to be in hospital rehabilitating after a stroke. Now it seems it might actually be a drug overdose-induced coma. Is this the same son who has ties to Toronto street gangs? He appears now to be the likely provider of the firearm. It's all a dreadful mess, with tragic results.

Reports this morning suggest that the shooter's only previous interactions with police (of which there were more than one, it seems) were connected to his state of mental health and not because of any criminal activity.

Almost Canadian

If the plane crashed due to the pilot's error would it be wrong to criticize them? Regarding the comment of the lawyers that would depend upon how one defines a loss.

The simple fact of the matter is that the professionals involved were placed with ensuring public safety. If they were negligent in doing so, they deserve criticism.

Oakvillian

Bollocks.
What deserves criticism is the wholly inadequate provision for mental health services across Canada. You can't possibly place blame on a doctor for not locking somebody up just in case he commits a crime.

That would be analagous to placing every defence counsel on notice that if they get their guy off on a technicality and he commits another crime, they're held responsible for his actions. I assume that "simple fact of the matter" is OK with you too? Of course, in reality, it's neither factual nor simple