Gunfire has erupted at a Toronto nightclub where Drake was hosting an official music festival afterparty, leaving a man and a woman dead and three others critically injured.
Local news networks are reporting scenes of chaos, with the “sporadic” shooting causing widespread damage.
Shots were fired inside a nightclub called Muzik, situated on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, following the rapper’s two-night Ovo Fest. Drake was officially hosting the event, but it’s unclear whether or not he was there at the time that the violence unfolded.
Toronto news network CP24 reports that the incident took place at around 3.30am on Tuesday morning, with gunfire possibly erupting at two separate locations just blocks away from each other.
“Paramedics tell us that the scene is very very large and widespread. Things a bit chaotic there right now,” the network’s Diana Petrucci reports (via The Guardian).
Toronto Police Superintendent Frank Bergen has confirmed to Billboard that at least one of the shootings originated inside the nightclub, before spilling out into the surrounding area.
“What occurred originally in the bar area had spilled out into the streets so south and north of this area we do have three separate crimes scenes,” he said.
“At this point we do know for certain that one or two [shootings] were in the nightclub and we believe the others were outside of that area. This is all unfolding now and we’re doing our investigation.”
One victim died at the scene and the other was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. They were both in their 20s or 30s, but no other information is available at this time. Three others suffered life-threatening injuries and have been transported to different hospitals in the area.
Police have called the attack “brazen” and are reportedly searching for two persons of interest in relation to the crime. The homicide squad are currently investigating.
Eerily, it echoes a similar incident last year at the very same club after the very same festival, where a man was shot at Muzik following the official afterparty. Reminded of the event, Bergen told The Guardian: “We’re satisfied at this point that the organisation involved was doing their best and this did occur at 3:30 this morning as things were shutting down for the evening”.
The terrifying incident followed Drake’s performance at Ovo Fest 2015, which also included appearances by J Cole, Big Sean and YG, with surprise guests Kanye West, Pharrell and UK grime star Skepta.
We’ll bring you more news as it develops.
#BREAKING: Police now say two have been killed, three others wounded in mass shooting on Exhibition grounds.
— CP24 (@CP24) August 4, 2015
