3 masked gunmen who unleashed chaos on a packed Scarborough bar Friday night, injuring 12.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw stood amidst the shattered remains of Piper Arms Pub on Saturday, vowing to “leave no stone unturned” in the pursuit of three masked gunmen who unleashed chaos on a packed Scarborough bar Friday night, injuring 12.
The brazen attack struck just before 10:40 p.m., when the trio—one wielding an assault rifle, the others brandishing handguns—stormed the pub near Scarborough Town Centre and fired wildly into the crowd. “They walked in, drew their weapons, and let loose,” said Supt. Paul MacIntyre of the Organized Crime Enforcement unit earlier that day. Six patrons took bullets to their arms and legs—serious but not fatal wounds—while others were cut by exploding glass.
“Stepping inside, you feel the terror they must have felt,” Demkiw told reporters at the scene. “It’s a miracle no one died. This kind of violence scars a city—and the people caught in it—for years.”
The pub, celebrating its grand opening, was left a haunting tableau: drinks and food abandoned on tables, purses and shoes strewn about, walls pocked with bullet holes, and blood staining the floor. “It’s eerie, chaotic—a nightmare frozen in time,” MacIntyre said, noting that investigators are poring over surveillance footage to determine if the onslaught was random or targeted.
Demkiw, while tight-lipped on specifics, promised a full-throttle investigation. “This is fresh, fluid, and fierce—we’re throwing every resource at it,” he said. “My role is to arm our team with what they need and reassure Toronto we’re restoring safety, here and everywhere, by nailing these culprits.”
He framed the shooting as a stark reminder of the city’s gun violence challenge. “One incident like this is one too many,” he said, calling for a united front—police, courts, social services—to crush such acts and hold perpetrators accountable.
Initial reports pegged the suspects fleeing in a silver car, one cloaked in a black balaclava, but details remain thin. The hunt continues with no letup in sight.
Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking Saturday morning, called the violence “deeply troubling.” “My heart’s with the victims and their families,” she said, confirming Chief Demkiw had assured her every tool is deployed. Premier Doug Ford echoed the outrage on X: “This won’t be tolerated. Toronto Police have my full backing to bring justice. Praying for those hit by this horror.”
Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson, speaking on-scene to CP24’s Melissa Duggan, labeled it a “gut punch” for a community unaccustomed to such savagery. “It’s a sad, seismic shift—people here are shaken,” he said.
As police ramp up their presence around Progress Avenue, the message is clear: this isn’t over until the shooters are caught.