According to police, a shooting occurred in the parking lot of a reception venue where two weddings were taking place, for which no motive was yet known.
Two people were killed and six injured in a shooting in the parking lot of a reception venue hosting two weddings in Ottawa Saturday evening, police said, not ruling out any leads. “I heard quick shots and screams and then there was a pause before at least 15 or 16 more shots were fired,” Nico, 28, told AFP. He did not give his last name. Two men, ages 26 and 29, who lived in Toronto were killed, Ottawa police said. Americans were among the six injured, she said, adding that their lives were not in danger.
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The shooting happened at 10:21 p.m. (local time) in the parking lot of a convention center in the south of the city, where two separate wedding receptions were taking place at the same time. “It was chaos. “People were fleeing in all directions,” the witness continued, adding that police arrived quickly and in large numbers. Police have “nothing” to confirm or suggest that the shooting was a hate crime “related to race or religious beliefs,” police inspector Martin Groulx told AFP. “But we are not ruling out this option,” he added.
According to the Canadian government, several Canadian cities have seen a significant increase in armed violence in recent years, with shootings becoming “increasingly common.” Since 2009, the country has seen an 81% increase in violent crime involving firearms.