Man faces weapons charges after alleged threats to Toronto mayoral candidates

The Canadian Press
Man faces weapons charges after alleged threats to Toronto mayoral candidates

Toronto mayoral candidates were back on the campaign trail Friday after a man who allegedly threatened to shoot them was arrested and charged.

Police say the 29-year-old man has been charged with two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon and one count of carrying a concealed weapon after he allegedly threatened to shoot the mayoral candidates.

Police later confirmed the alleged weapon was a pellet gun. 

The charges against the Toronto man announced Friday morning also include uttering threats and failure to comply with a court condition. 

A debate was cancelled and several candidates paused their campaign activities Thursday after police reported a man allegedly entered a public location in the city’s east end, threatened to shoot the candidates and then brandished what looked like a gun. 

Police called it a blanket threat, not targeting any specific campaign, and say the location was unrelated to any candidate appearances.

The mayoral byelection is scheduled for June 26.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2023. 

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