Kids duck bullets at BBQ

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Kids duck bullets at BBQ

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uploaded by Barry Artiste

Canadians may ask themselves are we so complacent about Toronto neighborhood shootings, that as one BBQ attendee stated " I'm so used to it, You hear the shooting and just keep your head down.

If Canadians are complacent, perhaps that is why  the  Government is as well.  Pretty sad state of affairs when both seem to take regular random neighorhood shootings and killings as an annoyance, resulting in another BBQ in the future.

url="http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/08/20/4431493-sun.html"]A volley of shots fired between two men forced about 75 people, including children, to scramble for safety during an afternoon festival and barbecue in North York yesterday.

No one was injured when two men opened fire at each other on Shoreham Court, in the Jane St.-Steeles Ave. area, around 3 p.m.

Toronto Police said the shooting showed complete disregard for people by the gunmen as slugs hit parked vehicles and whizzed by people.

Police scoured the area throughout the afternoon for the suspects. Two people were taken into custody but later released.

Tommy Hodge, who has lived in the community for 40 years, said he heard six or seven shots being fired.

"Bang, bang, bang, not again," said Hodge, adding adults grabbed children and ran away when the gunfire broke out.

The barbecue, which was being held to celebrate the end of summer, had not even begun when the two gunmen opened fire .

One parked van had two windows blown out.

"I heard the bullets going off and that is it," Hodge said.

"I'm so used to it. You hear them and you keep your head down. We don't like it," the retired school bus driver said.

"It shouldn't be."

Another barbecue is planned in the near future.

Earlier in the day, a petition was passed around to have a green common area in the complex named in honour of Justin Manners, who lived in the neighbourhood before being shot dead in a washroom at his school earlier in the year. [/q]