Codi Wilson, CP24.com
Durham Regional Police are investigating a shooting at Pickering Ribfest that left four people wounded on Saturday night.
Gunfire erupted outside the Pickering Civic Complex, on Valley Farm Road, north of Highway 401, at around 11 p.m.
Police said they were called to the scene after “numerous gunshots” were heard outside the annual event.
According to investigators, three males were taken from the scene to hospital and fourth male victim made his own way to hospital for treatment.
All four victims sustained gunshot wounds but their injuries were not life-threatening, police confirmed Sunday.
The victims include two Ajax teens, ages 16 and 17, as well as a 20-year-old from Pickering, and a 30-year-old from North York.
They have all subsequently been released from hospital.
Police said they do not know how many guns or suspects were involved in the incident and investigators were unable to provide detailed suspect descriptions.
In a news release issued Sunday, police said they do not believe the shooting was a “random act” and asked anyone with information to come forward.
Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan said he was “shocked” and "troubled" by the incident.
“This is a safe community. This is a very safe event. An unfortunately incident occurred last night but it was an incident. It is not indicative of what happens here in our community,” Ryan told reporters.
He noted that the shooting occurred outside the event and that the “robust security” at the entrance gate prevented anyone from entering with weapons.
“That has been acknowledged by (Durham Regional Police). In fact they have congratulated for us,” Ryan added.
He said the city is cooperating with police in their investigation
“We are providing them with video that is recorded around city hall and they are currently analyzing that,” Ryan said.
David Pickles, the deputy mayor of Pickering, said he hopes police will track down the perpetrators soon.
"I think people are really assured by the police presence that’s going on and the investigation. Hopefully they will get the people off the street that caused this disturbance as quickly as possible and we are very hopeful that the people who are impacted will recover very quickly," Pickles told CP24 on Sunday.
"I think everybody is shocked and unpleasantly surprised. Everybody was having a great weekend down here. We had great weather. A lot of families were out so something like this in our community is really shocking. It is something that we hear about else. We don’t really expect something like this to happen here."
The shooting did not prevent organizers from continuing the event on Sunday.
“Ribfest is about fundraising. Anything that we make, we give right back to the community so it is a very important weekend to us and Ribfest for the last 11 years,” Sophia Levy-Presner, the organizer of Pickering Ribfest, said Sunday.
“We have tight security. We have police here all the time. So it is very safe.”
Pickering resident Nick Foster told CP24 that he doesn’t believe the incident will dissuade people from attending the event.
“I think everyone is still going to come and have a great time,” he said. “That’s what I hope will happen.”
Codi Wilson, CTV News Toronto
Durham Regional Police are investigating a shooting at Pickering Ribfest that left four people wounded on Saturday night.
Gunfire erupted outside the Pickering Civic Complex, on Valley Farm Road, north of Highway 401, at around 11 p.m.
Police said they were called to the scene after “numerous gunshots” were heard at the annual event.
According to investigators, three males were taken from the scene to hospital and fourth male victim made his own way to hospital for treatment.
All four victims sustained gunshot wounds but their injuries were not life-threatening, police confirmed Sunday.
The victims include two Ajax teens, ages 16 and 17, as well as a 20-year-old from Pickering, and a 30-year-old from North York.
Police said they do not know how many guns or suspects were involved in the incident and investigators were unable to provide detailed suspect descriptions.
In a news release issued Sunday, police said they do not believe the shooting was a “random act.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact investigators.
In a tweet sent out Sunday, Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan said he was "troubled" by the incident.
David Pickles, the deputy mayor of Pickering, said he is out today trying to reassure people that the event is safe.
"I think people are really assured by the police presence that’s going on and the investigation. Hopefully they will get the people off the street that caused this disturbance as quickly as possible and we are very hopeful that the people who are impacted will recover very quickly," Pickles told CP24 on Sunday.
"I think everybody is shocked and unpleasantly surprised. Everybody was having a great weekend down here. We had great weather. A lot of families were out so something like this in our community is really shocking. It is something that we hear about else. We don’t really expect something like this to happen here."
Pickering resident Nick Foster told CP24 that he doesn’t believe the incident will dissuade people from attending the event.
“I think everyone is still going to come and have a great time,” he said. “That’s what I hope will happen.”
Four people were wounded when shots were fired at a family event in Pickering, Ont., on Saturday night, Durham police say.
Thousands of people were attending the 11th annual Pickering Ribfest in the city on the eastern border of Toronto when the shooting occurred, according to Staff Sgt. Paul Cummins of the Durham Regional Police Service.
Police received a call about the shooting outside the Pickering Civic Centre, at 1 The Esplanade S., shortly after 11 p.m.
There is a bullet hole in the back of this black car. Police were examining it after the shooting. (Supplied) "Several gunshots were heard and fired in the area of the festival," Cummins said.
"I don't want to say they were shot into the air. I don't know. This is in the early stages of the investigation. And the investigators are still trying to determine exactly what happened," he said.
He said the gunfire erupted "in the general area" of the Ribfest.
Police are not certain whether anyone was deliberately singled out.
4th victim appeared in hospital later
One of the injured was taken to Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Two others were taken to a local hospital.
The fourth appeared at a hospital on his or her own. Police have confirmed that the fourth person had been attending the ribfest.
All suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Cummins said.
Police have not determined whether there was an altercation before the shooting or whether there was more than one shooter.
4 shot at the Pickering Civic Complex at the exit from Ribfest. One victim transported to SickKids, two others to trauma centre, one to local hospital. Large crime scene, multiple shots fired. @DRPS @DRPSWestDiv pic.twitter.com/Bsu84Usmj0 —@ColinWxchaser "The scene was quickly contained," he added.
Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan said in a tweet that he is "shocked and deeply troubled" by the shooting.
"All levels of government must work together to get these illegal guns off our streets!" he said.
In a later tweet, he said the event will resume on Sunday, despite the shooting.
Just confirming that Ribfest is still taking place today from 12 pm to 8 pm. The secured entrance has been relocated to the north side, just past the underground parking entrance of @CityofPickering City Hall. Thank you to @DRPS for all of its assistance. —@mayordaveryan
'Commotion' at scene after shooting
Colin Williamson, a freelance news photographer based in Oshawa, Ont., arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting. He described it as chaotic and confusing.
The event was closing and people were leaving the scene.
Durham Regional Police tape was visible from the outside of the Pickering Ribfest on Saturday night. (Supplied) He said the crime scene was large.
"There was a lot of commotion. A lot of people were still running, a lot of young people, like teenagers, and they were running around everywhere," he said.
Officers were examining two vehicles, a white minivan parked in front of city hall and a black car about 100 metres from all of the activity. The black car had a bullet hole, he said.
Police interviewing witnesses
According to police, no information about a suspect or suspects was available.
Officers are interviewing witnesses and victims as they search for clues as to what happened. Anyone with information is urged to come forward.
I'm shocked & deeply troubled about the shootings which occurred in @CityofPickering. Kudos to Ribfest organizers for their robust security measures at the entrances, which kept trouble out. All levels of gov't must work together to get these illegal guns off our streets! pic.twitter.com/G9UwYnQojv —@mayordaveryan
Durham Regional police say four people have been taken to hospital following a shooting outside of the Pickering Civic Complex and close to the annual Ribfest.
