Police appeal for info to help track down gunmen in deadly Toronto shooting

TORONTO - Toronto police continue to appeal for information as they try to find the gunmen who unleashed a hail of bullets and sparked pandemonium at a crowded party in the city's east end this week.

Two young people were killed and 23 were hit by bullets after a dispute escalated into an exchange of gunfire at the community barbecue late Monday night. One person was trampled in the chaos that ensued.

City police have called it an unprecedented incident of gun violence and have vowed to track down those responsible.

They are also promising to protect those reeling from the incident as worries mount about revenge-based retaliatory attacks.

"We are very concerned not only with the quick resolution and solving of this crime but the potential for retaliatory violence, which we often see in this type of event," police chief Bill Blair said yesterday.

In addition to pleading for witnesses to come forward, police are also asking anyone with video or photos of the incident to send them to authorities.

Fourteen-year-old Shyanne Charles of Toronto and 23-year-old Joshua Yasay of Ajax, Ont., were killed in the shooting.

Authorities suspect gangs were involved and say they have one injured "person of interest" in custody.

The shooting at the event which drew about 200 people has left many area residents in shock.

"I've got my two granddaughters living with me here. I brought them up from Trinidad to be safe from this type of violence and it's right around my corner," said Bruce Strachan, who has lived in the area all his life but is now considering moving away.

Toronto's mayor, who called the shooting a "horrible tragedy," is reassuring residents that Toronto remains a safe city despite a string of recent high-profile shootings.

"Everyone has to move on and carry on with their life," Rob Ford said.

Monday night's shooting came weeks after a gunman opened fire in a crowded food court at Toronto's Eaton Centre, killing one man instantly and wounding another who died of his injuries days later. Several bystanders were wounded.

In another recent incident, a man was shot in Toronto's east end shortly after the Canada Day fireworks display at the city's waterfront.

On Tuesday night, Toronto recorded its 29th homicide of the year when a man believed to be in his 30s was shot and killed at a soccer field in the west end.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2012