The Islamic State organization on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the shooting in Toronto’s Greektown that killed two people and injured 13 on Sunday.
The group’s propaganda agency Amaq said the attacker was “one of the soldiers of the Islamic State”, according to AFP.
“He carried out the attack in response to calls to target nationals of countries of the coalition” fighting IS in Syria and Iraq since 2014, it said.
The 29-year-old Faisal Hussain killed a 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl in the shooting rampage on a Toronto street, Canadian police said.
Specifically, Hussain opened fire at Demetres Greek Cafe on Danforth Avenue. The man was later killed on the spot after exchanging gunfire with police.
However, Hussain’s family, in a statement to CBC News, denounced his “horrific actions” and said he was suffering from mental problems.
They said he had battled “severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life”, and that medication and therapy did not help him.
According to AFP, an eyewitness, Andrew Mantzios, told The Globe and Mail newspaper he had seen the shooting as he sat with friends drinking coffee.
He said “a lady tried to run and she fell down”, after which the shooter “turned around and shot her point blank, two or three times”.
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