Handgun bans. Anti-gang crackdowns. Easy bail. In Toronto, as the number of people killed or injured in shootings continues to surge, such terms are often used by municipal leaders, politicians, police. But what do we really know about guns, gangs, and possible solutions to a growing violence problem? This is the last article in a series that has aimed to find answers … and to find out when we don’t know the answers … to some life-and-death questions. In October 2018 police responded to a call about a loud fight between a man and a seven-and-a-half-month pregnant woman at a Toronto apartment. The 20-year-old woman answered the door crying, according to a description of the allegations read in bail court by the Crown. A loaded handgun was allegedly found on the man during a search, and some drugs and ammunition were found in the apartment.Both the man and woman were charged with gun and drug offences including possessing a loaded, prohibited firearm. It was alleged the woman was aware the gun was in the home.After four days in custody the woman, who had no criminal record, had a bail hearing where the Crown argued she should be denied bail because she could commit further offences and her detention was necessary to maintain the confidence in the administration of justice given the serious gun violence problem in the GTA. It’s standard for Crown attorneys to take a hard line at bail hearings for those accused of firearm-related crimes. At the time of the woman’s arrest, there had been a yearly increase in shootings in the city. According police, there were 236 people killed or injured in Toronto shootings in 2018. The trend has continued into 2019, with the city on track for a record high in shootings and shooting-related injuries. Over the past few months, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders and politicians have placed some of the blame for the rise in gun violence on the bail system, suggesting it operates like a revolving door for a ...
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