An afternoon shooting in Little Italy fuels the gun control debate

Another shooting in a crowded public place has rattled downtown residents—and ensured that the debate over gun control in Toronto will continue to rage. Yesterday afternoon, just over two weeks after the fatal Eaton Centre shooting, a shooter in construction worker garb killed a 35-year-old man and injured another in an apparent targeted shooting at the Sicilian Sidewalk Café in Little Italy. The area was busy with EuroCup soccer fans watching the match between Italy and Ireland (several Italy fans at Il Gatto Nero, a few doors away, continued to cheer on their team, even as police taped off the corner and addressed media). The gun control talking points started almost immediately: councillor Mike Layton, who lives in the area, blamed access to guns as the principal problem and called for stricter legislation. What form that could take remains to be seen: Adam Vaughan’s recent proposal of a gun and bullet ban has had mixed reviews, and though council has asked the province to maintain data from the newly dismantled federal long gun registry, it has little control over the matter. [National Post]