Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
The gunfire erupted in the area of Queen Street West and Sudbury Street at around 11:20 p.m.
During a news conference on Tuesday morning, Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue told reporters that officers were in the area for an unrelated investigation when the gunfire broke out.
Pogue said occupants of a stolen vehicle pulled up to a recording studio in the neighbourhood and three suspects exited the vehicle, opening fire on a group who had gathered outside the building.
“This brazen act of violence escalated into an exchange of gunfire between two groups,” Pogue said.
The bullets struck an unmarked police cruiser with plainclothes police officers inside, she added.
Despite the barrage of bullets, no one was injured during the shootout, police said.
As the suspects attempted to flee the scene, Pogue said, officers boxed in the stolen vehicle and one of the occupants was arrested after a brief foot pursuit.
The two other occupants managed to escape and remain at large, police said.
After securing the recording studio, police arrested several others inside the building and in total, 16 firearms were seized, Pogue added.
Firearms were found inside the recording studio, on the rooftop of the building, as well as hidden in garbage cans in the surrounding area, she said.
Two assault-style rifles and several handguns are among the weapons seized, police said.
“I want to stress how remarkable it is that in such a volatile and dangerous situation nobody was injured,” Pogue noted. “No bystanders, not the individuals involved, and not our officers.”
She said police intend to issue a news release to disclose the names of the 23 suspects in custody, as well as the charges they are facing.
Pogue said she could not say if there was a musician inside the recording studio at the time of the shootout.
She said that while the incident has “all of the signs of being a gang-related conflict,” the motive behind the shooting is still under investigation.
In a statement to the Toronto Police Services Board, which was posted on the police service’s website, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the officers in the cruiser that was struck were performing a bail compliance check when they “found themselves in the middle of a gun fight.”
“Their unmarked vehicle was struck multiple times, and we are very grateful that none of our police officers got hurt,” he said.
He went on to say that the incident highlights “the importance of the law reform we have asked for in the past.”
“Gun fire in our public spaces must be recognized for the harm it causes not just for those involved directly, but for by-standers and the public at large,” he said.
“We have asked for law reform concerning circumstances where offenders choose to indiscriminately and brazenly use firearms in public places. Many police leaders have also spoken about the urgent need for justice reform, to tackle repeat offenders and return a sense of safety to our communities.”