‘Guns treated like toys’: Police release disturbing video of gun fight outside Toronto recording studio

WARNING: Dramatic video of gun battle outside Toronto recording studio

Toronto police say recently released video footage of a gun battle in a busy Toronto neighbourhood shows a group of suspects playing with guns “like props at a party” before “wildly spraying bullets into the street.”

The video was released by investigators at a news conference Thursday, where police announced that 14 more suspects have been arrested in connection with a “reckless” exchange of gunfire.

More than 100 shots were fired in the gun fight, which occurred outside a recording studio near Queen Street West and Sudbury Street at around 11:20 p.m. on Nov. 11.

According to police, three occupants of a stolen vehicle pulled into a grocery store parking lot in the area that night, exited the car, and began firing at a group who were gathering for a birthday party. The incident escalated to an exchange of gunfire between two groups.

The suspects in the stolen vehicle ultimately took cover behind an unmarked police cruiser with two officers inside. The officers, who were in the area on an unrelated call, were narrowly missed by bullets that riddled the car and surrounding buildings, police previously said.

“This incident was an audacious and reckless exchange of gunfire in downtown Toronto. It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was injured or killed, including innocent civilians and our officers,” Supt. Paul MacIntyre, of the organized crime enforcement unit, said Thursday.

Police confirmed that 105 charges have now been laid in connection with Project Poppie, a probe that was launched in response to the shooting. The Toronto Police Service has assigned a dedicated task force to the case.

Eight suspects were initially charged in connection with the incident but police later confirmed that charges had been stayed against five of those suspects. One of the suspects arrested in connection with the shooting is a 16-year-old boy who is also facing a second-degree murder charge in an unrelated homicide investigation.

An additional 14 suspects are now in custody and police say they are searching for nine others.

Video shows group ‘casually’ playing with guns

In the video footage released by police, suspects can be seen hanging out inside a recording studio while handling a number of firearms.

“They casually play with the handguns and rest them on their laps before dancing around like it is some kind of celebration,” Insp. Paul Krawczyk, of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force, told reporters Thursday.

“What started as reckless posturing escalated into chaos and we allege they began to fire back at a rival gang, wildly spraying bullets into the street without any regard for human life. It is shocking behaviour that underscores the danger these individuals pose in our communities.”