Toronto shooting soon after Trudeau govt implements handgun freeze

TORONTO: Soon after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a nationwide freeze on the sales, purchase, and transfer of handguns with immediate effect, gunshots were heard in Toronto. Taking to Twitter," Toronto Police Operations said, "SHOOTING: Ellesmere Rd + Dolly Varden Blvd 3:10 pm."

"Gunshots heard in the area - Police are on scene - Evidence of gunfire located - Vehicle located with bullet holes," police added. Earlier today, the Canadian Prime Minister announced the freeze on handgun sales.

Addressing the presser, Trudeau said, "We have frozen the market for handguns in this country," according to Toronto Sun "Canadians have the right to feel safe in their homes, in their schools, and in their places of worship," Fox news quoted Trudeau as saying in a statement on the freeze.

"With handgun violence increasing across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities. Today, we're keeping more guns out of our communities, and keeping our kids safe," Trudeau added. Canadian Prime Minister's Office released a statement that stated that fewer guns mean safer communities. Handguns are the weapon of choice in most firearm-related crimes, and this is the reason the Canadian government is limiting it. Limiting handguns is a critical part of a plan to protect Canadians from gun violence."

"We've implemented a historical national handgun freeze that bans the purchase, sale and transfer of handguns," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino tweeted. Earlier, in May, the Liberal Party of Canada announced a plan to implement a freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns in order to help stem firearm-related violence, Toronto Sun reported.

"I've seen all too well the tragic cost that gun violence has in our communities across the country. Today, we're proposing some of the strongest measures in Canadian history to keep guns out of our communities and build a safer future for everyone," he said. To ensure the national freeze on handguns can be implemented swiftly, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety has already tabled regulatory amendments in both the House of Commons and the Senate.

"These regulations will help stop the growth of personally owned handguns in Canada and are expected to come into force in Fall 2022," the government said. At the time, the government tabled regulatory amendments in both the House of Commons and the Senate.