Ottawa police upping police patrols near mosques following Toronto mosque shooting

Ottawa police are increasing their presence near local mosques following a shooting that happened outside a mosque in Scarborough this weekend.

The shooting happened in the early morning on Saturday, April 16, and left five men seriously injured.

Toronto police said on Saturday that the early morning drive-by shooting appeared to be a random attack, but they were not ruling out the possibility the victims were targeted because of their religion.

“We continue to monitor the investigation into the shooting t a mosque in Toronto,” Ottawa police tweeted out on Sunday, April 17. “Locally, we have reached out to local Imams and we have increase patrols and police presence near religious institutions such as mosques.”

Superintendent David Rydzik told CityNews that around 1 a.m. a group of individuals were gathered at a parking lot, in the area of Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue East, trying to decide where to go for a meal after their midnight Ramadan prayer service when the shooting occurred.

It’s not known at this time if the victims were in traditional clothing.

Rydzik said a vehicle was seen driving away from the scene, believed to be northbound on Markham Road after approximately six shots were fired.

Police have not provided a suspect description at this time.

When police arrived they found four men suffering from gunshot wounds. A fifth victim eventually made their way to hospital.

– With files from Michelle Morton and John Marchesan