2 dead, 19 injured in Toronto shooting

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Two people were killed and several, including an infant, were injured in a shooting in Canada's largest metropolis, Toronto, late on Monday, police said.

"Two people killed in gunfire that broke out during a party," police said in a Twitter message. "Deceased are a male and a female," said a second message by Police Chief Bill Blair.

He described the incident as "the worst incident of gun violence" in the city's history.

Blair told reporters that during a "very large party" with more than 200 guests, "an altercation broke out between individuals" that lead to an exchange of gunfire. The shooting occurred in the city's east side after a fight at a crowded barbecue.

Blair said a 20-year-old man and a teenage girl were killed, and as many as 19 were injured in the melee.

Constable Wendy Drummond added, "Not all of those victims are gunshot victims."

"We have a child, an infant, who is also a victim," she said.

The child was shot, said Blair, adding that the "infant will be fine."

Coming barely six weeks after a shooting at a shopping mall that killed one and wounded six, it is likely to raise fears about the use of guns in a city that takes pride in its relatively low crime rate compared with US urban centers.

At the time of the last shooting in Toronto's Eaton Centre, Rob Ford, the city's mayor, described it as an isolated incident in "the safest city in the world."

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.