‘Guns treated like toys’: Video released of gunfight at Toronto recording studio

Toronto police have released shocking video from inside a downtown recording studio that was the site of a “dangerous exchange of gunfire” last fall, which saw nearly 100 shots fired.

The footage, released Thursday as part of Project Poppie, is a compilation of video including cellphone and surveillance footage that show patrons inside waving around handguns, dancing, and resting them in their laps, as well as shots being fired through a back door.

“As you may recall, that incident was an audacious, reckless, dangerous exchange of gunfire that occurred in downtown Toronto. It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was injured or killed, including innocent civilians or our police officers,” said Supt. Paul Macintyre Thursday.

On Nov. 11, 2024, Macintyre said three suspects arrived at the recording studio, which was being used to host a packed birthday party, on Queen Street West near Sudbury Street in an alleged stolen vehicle.

The suspects began shooting at the building and those inside the studio fired back. The three suspects then took cover behind an unmarked police car that had two officers dressed in plainclothes inside. The vehicle was struck repeatedly, Macintyre said.

Police previously said nearly 100 shots were fired during the exchange.

4:16 ‘Miracle’ no one died, Toronto police say after gunfight that resulted in 23 arrests

Numerous people at the recording studio fled, discarding multiple firearms on the ground in a laneway or in nearby garbage bins. Other responding officers quickly entered the studio and found several people and a “significant cache of firearms, including automatic weapons, assault rifles and handguns,” Macintyre said.

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That night, 23 people were arrested include one of the three original suspects, and 16 firearms were seized, police said.

Insp. Paul Krawczyk, with the guns and gangs unit, called the incident an “egregious act in the city” and pointed towards the video.

“What you’ll see in this video is not just not just illegal. It’s brazen. Guns treated like toys and lives treated as afterthoughts,” Krawczyk said.

“This was a group of individuals who seemed alarmingly comfortable not only carrying illegal firearms, but also treating them like props at a party,” Krawczyk said at the press conference while the video played.

“You’ll see they casually play with the handguns and rest them on their laps before dancing around like some kind of celebration. What started as reckless posturing escalated into chaos … wildly spraying bullets into the street without any regard for human life. It’s shocking behavior that underscores the danger these individuals pose in our communities.”

Krawczyk alleges the exchange of gunfire was a rival gang situation, adding he would not reveal the name of the gangs to avoid giving them “any notoriety whatsoever.”

“I don’t want to say their names. They don’t deserve it,” he added.

In addition to those arrested that night, police said Thursday 14 others suspects have been arrested and more than 100 new charges were laid. Police are actively looking for another nine suspects.

Of those arrested, Krawczyk said they range between 16 to 30 years old, with the average age being 22.

“We allege that almost all those arrested were directly involved in the shootout, or were in possession of one or more firearms,” Krawczyk said.

Krawczyk noted five of those charged had their charges stayed and worked with the attorney general. The person who’s birthday party it was is on the list of those charged. One person charged, a 16-year-old boy, was wanted for a homicide in April.

All the handguns were illegal, Krawczyk said, and they were all traced back to the United States.

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