DrakeA shooting at a Toronto nightclub hosting an after-party for Drake's OVOFest event has left two people dead and a further three injured, reports have emerged overnight.
According to The Toronto Star, the incident occurred at city venue Muzik Event Centre about 3.30am Tuesday morning (Canada time) with hundreds of revellers — and a significant police contingent — present. As explained in a statement by Muzik in response to the incident, 73 professional security guards, including 15 specially trained guards, were on duty, along with two staff paramedics and 10 armed Toronto Police Service officers. In addition, the venue has a strict 'no-weapons' policy.
The paper reports that the police fired no shots but "literally [ran] towards the live-fire incidents", which began inside at the venue's bar and spilled out onto the street.
"Despite the large [police] presence, armed offenders took out firearms and started a shooting inside the venue," deputy police chief Peter Sloly told the paper. "This is an entertainment venue, packed with hundreds of innocent people."
"Our officers were present when the initial shots went off, they were within metres of the initial shooting, they continued to follow up as more firearms were discharged in the immediate aftermath," he continued.
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A man and a woman, described as being aged in their 20s-30s, were killed in the attack; the former was pronounced dead at the venue, while the latter passed away on the way to hospital. Three people were reported injured, of which two were serious (but not life-threatening).
In Muzik's response statement, owner Zlatko Starkovski said he was "absolutely shocked" by the sudden outbreak of violence.
"Our deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families, and we wish a quick recovery to those injured," he said. "We are fully co-operating with Toronto Police and have full confidence they will get to the bottom of this horrific incident, and bring these people to justice."
The Toronto incident was not the only gun violence-related event at a music show to break overnight, however, with state police on the hunt for a suspect to a shooting that left two men wounded outside a Big Sean and J. Cole concert in New Jersey.
As ABC News reports, shots were fired late on Monday night (US time) at the PNC Bank Arts Centre parking lot outside the hip-hop show, leaving a 23-year-old and 24-year-old in hospital in critical but stable conditions. Further information about their injuries has not been made public. Police searched nearby woods using K-9 units and a helicopter, but no arrest has been made. A $US5000 (about $6800) reward has been offered.
OVOFest is an annual event orchestrated by Drake's label October's Very Own, at which the Nothing Was The Same star performed, but it remains unconfirmed as to whether he was in attendance at Muzik when the shooting occurred. Neither he nor OVO have released a statement in the wake of the attack.
