TORONTO, CANADA – Toronto City Councillor Mary Fragedakis Ward 29 – Toronto-Danforth and Councillor Paula Fletcher Ward 30 – Toronto-Danforth shared their letter with The National Herald about the tragic shooting. Fragedakis told TNH, “my heart goes out to all the victims, their families and friends.”

She also noted that a vigil will be held on Wednesday, July 25 at 7 PM. The Toronto Star reported the location “in front of the Danforth Church, at the corner of Danforth and Bowden, followed by a walk along the Danforth,” adding that “all community members and people of all faiths are welcome, and encouraged to bring candles.”

Toronto City Councillor Mary Fragedakis. Photo: Courtesy of Councillor Fragedakis

The full text of the letter, dated July 23, follows:

Dear Friends,

Like you, we are in shock and disbelief about the tragic shooting on the Danforth on Sunday night.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this terrible violence.

We can’t imagine what they are going through. We know that our entire community will support the victims and their families in every way we can.

There are many questions still unanswered as emergency services respond to this tragedy. One thing we do know is that we will not allow our community to be defined by this violence – we will be defined by how we respond. With love, with strength and by coming together.

Toronto has an unaddressed problem with gun violence. We knew that before this tragedy. At Council, we will continue to push for a ban on handguns in the City of Toronto. While we take action on guns, we must also invest in addressing the root causes of violence that lead someone down this path.

Already, many people are asking us what they can do to help. That is the true spirit of our community.

There is a gathering for prayer tonight [July 23] at Calvary Church of Toronto at 746 Pape Avenue – north of Danforth tonight at 7pm. A vigil is also being planned and we will share that information when it becomes available.

A GoFundMe page has been started to support the victims and their families. To learn more and to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/danforth-strong.

The business community invites you to show your support by doing what we always do – eating and shopping locally at small businesses on the Danforth.

Finally, we encourage anyone in need to seek out services and support to help process this trauma. We are working with Mayor Tory and City staff to ensure proper services are in place to support this community as we grieve and rebuild. Victim Services provides support and resources to those in crisis and can be reached at 1-416-808-7066.

Please contact our offices for more information about how you can be involved in responding to this terrible event, or to share your ideas for how we can come together.

We will be sharing more information as it becomes available.

Sincerely yours,

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Ward 30 – Toronto-Danforth

Councillor Mary Fragedakis

Ward 29 – Toronto-Danforth