Toronto police confirm there is a link between the three deaths involving a crossbow in east Toronto and a suspicious package found in the downtown area of the city. No further details were provided.

Earlier Thursday, police revealed that three people are dead, all of whom were found with apparent crossbow injuries, in the Scarborough area of Toronto on Thursday afternoon. A source with knowledge of the investigation said it's believed all three deceased are related, CBC News has learned.

Police said the bodies of two men and a woman were found in a garage. Two people were found with no vital signs, and one person died after officers arrived, police confirmed.

Toronto police were investigating a suspicious package on Queens Quay they say is linked to a deadly crime scene in Scarborough. (Marjorie April/CBC) "We have a lot of work to do," Det. Sgt. Mike Carbone said four hours into the police investigation. "We still have a ways to go."

The identities of the victims are not being released until next of kin are notified, Carbone said.

Paramedics said another man was taken to hospital with injuries that were not serious. "He was another victim," spokesman Evert Steenge revealed.

Police have also confirmed that a 35-year-old male suspect, who has injuries, is being held in custody.

Three people are dead, including at least one who was found with an apparent crossbow injury in Scarborough. 0:24 Police responded to a report of a stabbing at around 1 p.m. ET on Lawndale Road near Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue East, Const. David Hopkinson told CBC News.

"Indications were that [a] person had been stabbed — their injuries were fairly serious," Hopkinson said. "When officers arrived, they found that person and two others suffering from injuries from what we believe to be a crossbow bolt."

Police said a crossbow was found on the floor of the garage.

"We don't have any idea with regards to why this may have happened," said Hopkinson.

Scarborough crossbow deaths scene through neighbour's backyard <a href="https://t.co/2a0CtAYQpT">pic.twitter.com/2a0CtAYQpT</a> —@trevorjdunn Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu said there were other "things" found in the area that could have been used as weapons.

Neighbour Jerome Cruz told CBC News that he heard screams before things went silent and said it sounded like a fight in the garage.

"It was going on for about five minutes — the screaming," he explained. "After that, all quiet."

Cruz said he's lived in the area for the past two years and said the people who reside in the house where the incident took place are normally "very quiet."

Neighbour near crossbow attack heard screams, then silence. <a href="https://t.co/1RwalICnsZ">pic.twitter.com/1RwalICnsZ</a> —@trevorjdunn "It was very strange to hear a big noise and screaming," Cruz said.

"We are looking to speak to anyone that may have information," Hopkinson said.

Nearby streets, including Knowlton Drive, Lockleven Drive and Glenda Road, are closed and the police homicide unit has taken over the investigation.

A bolt is a crossbow projectile that is under 40.6 centimetres (16 inches) in length, according to A bolt is a crossbow projectile that is under 40.6 centimetres (16 inches) in length, according to Phillip Bednar of TenPoint Crossbow Technologies , adding that anything longer is considered an arrow.

Dale Lounsbury, who sells crossbows at a sporting goods store in Waterloo, Ont., and owns one himself, said they can be dangerous due to their power and accuracy, but they are not suited to firing multiple shots in quick succession.

"I can probably fire two shots a minute, maybe three," Lounsbury said.

Unlike guns, no licence is required to buy or own a crossbow.

Toronto Police on Lawndale Rd in Scarborough. 3 people dead. <a href="https://t.co/yiaoPxdoEf">pic.twitter.com/yiaoPxdoEf</a> —@trevorjdunn

This isn't the first time a person has been killed by a crossbow bolt in the city. In December 2010, a man fired a bolt into his father's back at a Toronto Public Library branch before crushing the 52-year-old man's skull with a hammer.

Zhou Fang was charged with first-degree murder but accepted a plea for second-degree murder after it was revealed that he was the victim of long-term abuse by his father. Fang, then 26, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012. </s> Three people have been killed in an attack involving a crossbow in Toronto on Thursday.

A man was taken into custody and police later evacuated a building over a suspicious package in a related incident, Detective Mike Carbone said, without giving further details.

In the initial incident, police responding to a report of a stabbing to find three people who appeared to have been injured by crossbow bolts, said police spokesman David Hopkinson. Two men and a woman were pronounced dead.

“We don’t have any idea with regards to why this may have happened,” said Hopkinson.

CTV News, citing emergency services, said two other people were seriously injured.

An undentified man, 35, was taken into custody, police said.

Television footage showed police tape surrounding part of a residential street in Scarborough, a suburban area east of the city’s downtown area.

In 2010, a man shot his father in the back with a crossbow in a Toronto public library before smashing his skull with a hammer. Zhou Fang, who had suffered domestic abuse, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder. </s> A 35-year-old man has been arrested after three people were killed in an attack involving a crossbow in Toronto's east end on Thursday.

Police responding to a call about a stabbing found two men and a woman who appeared to have been injured by a crossbow bolt, spokesman David Hopkinson said. All were pronounced dead.

'We don't have any idea with regards to why this may have happened,' said Hopkinson.

A police source told CTV News that two bodies were discovered in the garage at the Scarborough home and the third was found in a driveway.

Police say the man who placed the call to 911 is one of the deceased.

Two other people were seriously injured.

A 35-year-old man has been taken into custody. There are reportedly no other suspects outstanding.

Television footage showed police tape surrounding part of a residential street near Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue East, a suburban area east of the city's downtown area.

Resident Jerome Cruz told CTV News Channel that he heard someone screaming for several minutes before everything went silent.

He also heard a commotion and what sounded like 'banging' in his neighbor's backyard. </s> TORONTO (AP) — A 35-year-old Toronto man is facing murder charges in the deaths of three people suffering from what appeared to be crossbow wounds.

Brett Ryan is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths that shocked a quiet residential neighborhood in the city's east end. The slayings were discovered on Thursday. Police found two men and one woman lying in the driveway suffering from serious wounds with a crossbow lying nearby.

The names of the victims have not released but an autopsy is scheduled.

Ryan is due to appear in court Friday morning.

Police said there was a link between the crossbow scene and a suspicious package investigation in a condo on Toronto's waterfront. The condo was evacuated as police cordoned off the area but the package was later cleared. </s> Jerome Cruz was gardening in the backyard when suddenly he heard a man “screaming and banging” at a neighbouring house.

At the time, the 69-year-old had no idea three people were being brutally slain with a crossbow bolt. Nor could he know that in a bizarre twist, the triple murder in Scarborough would end up being linked to a suspicious package found downtown.

“It was angry screaming,” Cruz recalled Thursday from his yard, which backs onto the yard of the Lawndale Rd. home where the murders unfolded.

“It went on for about five minutes and then I heard another man trying to calm him down. He was saying, ‘Calm down, be quiet.’”

With his view blocked by a shed, Cruz was unable to see the two men.

But soon after he caught a glimpse of a woman running along the driveway at the side of the house.

Within a few minutes, it got deathly “quiet,” but Cruz just figured the commotion had ended peacefully.

“I thought maybe the young man was drunk or something and now everything was OK,” he said.

But when his neighbourhood was soon filled with the flashing lights of emergency crews, Cruz knew something bad had happened.

Toronto Police say they initially received a 911 call around 1 p.m. for a man bleeding heavily from a suspected stab wound on the residential street near Markham and Kingston Rds.

“When our officers from 43 Division arrived, they found the lifeless bodies of three individuals,” Det.-Sgt. Mike Carbone said at the scene. “They also took one person into custody.”

A fourth victim was taken to hospital, he added.

Carbone refused to reveal if there was any sort of relationship between those involved.

Toronto EMS confirmed two men and one woman were killed and the fourth victim suffered only minor injuries.

Carbone also refused to comment on reports a crossbow or bolts, the arrows fired from a crossbow, were involved in the killings.

However, in the immediate aftermath of the murders, police said the victims suffered what appeared to be fatal injuries from a crossbow bolt. Police couldn’t say Thursday night whether the bolts were fired from a crossbow or used like a knife to stab the victims.

About 90 minutes after the triple murder, cops received a call for a suspicious package inside a condo at Queens Quay and Lower Simcoe St. that is thought to be tied to the attack.

Traffic was shut down in the area and 218 Queens Quay was evacuated while bomb disposal officers were called in.

“We have cleared the package and there is no threat to public safety,” Supt. Bill Neadles said. “Homicide detectives have now taken over the scene.”

While it’s unclear what was contained within the package, Carbone confirmed the downtown incident was tied to the Scarborough murders.

“I’m not going to discuss what was found at the scene other than to say there is a link between our scene here and the one down on the Queens Quay,” he said.

Residents of the Scarborough neighbourhood were stunned by the mayhem that occurred in their community.

“This is a quiet area ... I’m very surprised by this,” Ragu Sangaramoorthy, 41, said.

The family man, who rents a basement apartment two doors down from where the victims were found, recalled having seen three children, maybe 7 to 13, and a woman possibly in her 50s coming and going from the home at times.

“I’m very upset because I have two kids,” Sangaramoorthy said.

Another resident, Sadiya Haque, said her sense of shock and fear is based partly on the many unanswered questions.

When it comes to buying a crossbow in Toronto or across Canada, it turns out that bigger is better, legally speaking.

According to the Canadian Firearms Program as published by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, crossbows with an overall length of 500 mm or less are prohibited across the country.

However, the program states that no licence or registration is required for crossbows longer than 500 mm and that Criminal Code provisions making it an offence to acquire a crossbow without a valid licence were never brought into force.

Here are more guidelines for crossbows, according to Paul Hunkin, from Al Flaherty’s Outdoor Store on Dufferin St. in Toronto:

— You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase one.

— Crossbows may not be fired anywhere inside the boundaries of the City of Toronto.

Different types of crossbows that are available in stores:

— There are only two types: Prohibited and non-prohibited.

— Prohibited are crossbows that are 500 mm in length or smaller, which can be held and fired with one hand, similar to a handgun.

— Both are classified as “firearms” for legal purposes.

Locations where crossbows are sold and how much they cost:

— Retailers such as Al Flaherty’s, Canadian Tire, Sail, and Bass Pro Shops all sell a wide range of crossbows.

— Prices range from around $400 to well over $1,000.

— Commonly used for a wide variety of hunting.

— The crossbow hunting seasons do not overlap rifle and shotgun seasons and typically run for a longer period, making them popular among hunters.

— Moose, deer, bears, and sometimes turkeys are hunted with crossbows.

-- In December 2010, 24-year-old Zhou Fang shot his father in the back with a crossbow then crushed his skill with a hammer, at a public library in Toronto's east end.

-- In July, a Mission, B.C., father was charged with attacking his son who was shot in the forearm with a crossbow.

-- In November 2007, a 26-year-old man was charged with murder and attempted murder after his mother was killed and father was injured by a crossbow in St-Cesaire, Que.

-- In October 2002, a dairy farmer was shot in the back and injured with a crossbow in St.-Bonaventure.

-- In August 1998, a man asleep in his Hamilton home was shot in the head and injured by a man who fired a crossbow.

-- In 1998, Edward Stuart Walker shot a pregnant Stephanie Celestine Thomas with a crossbow, then stabbed her 46 times in Central Saanich on Vancouver Island.

-- In September 1994, Yvon Gosselin was driven to a gravel pit near Terrace, B.C., where he was killed with two bolts from a crossbow.

-- In May 1995, a man armed with a crossbow entered the Winnipeg Convention Centre shortly before then-prime minister Jean Chretien arrived to deliver a speech. The suspect was arrested.

-- In January 1993, B.C. Institute of Technology student Silvia Leung, 22, bled to death in the campus parking lot in Burnaby after being hit in the shoulder by a crossbow.

-- In November 1991, Ottawa lawyer Patricia Allen was killed with a crossbow by her estranged husband Colin McGregor. </s> Man charged after three die in Toronto crossbow attack -police

TORONTO, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Toronto police have charged a man with three counts of first-degree murder after three people were killed in a crossbow attack on a quiet suburban street, police in Canada's largest city said on Friday.

Brett Ryan, 35, was slated to appear in court later on Friday, police said.

Two men and a woman died at the house in the city's east end on Thursday. Police responding to a stabbing found the three bleeding on the driveway outside a nearby garage.

One of the victims made a 911 call before dying, according to a local newspaper report, and the suspect was also wounded. </s> A 35-year-old Toronto man is facing murder charges in the deaths of three people suffering from what appeared to be crossbow wounds.

Brett Ryan is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths that shocked a quiet residential neighborhood in the city's east end.

The slayings were discovered on Thursday when police found two men and one woman lying in the driveway suffering from serious wounds with a crossbow lying nearby.

All three died at the scene, according to CBC News.

The names of the victims have not released but an autopsy is scheduled.

Ryan is due to appear in court Friday morning.

Police said there was a link between the crossbow scene and a suspicious package investigation in a condo on Toronto's waterfront.

However, officials would not say what the link was between the package and the attack.

The condo was evacuated as police cordoned off the area but the package was later cleared.

Ryan was arrested in 2008 in relation to 14 bank robberies committed throughout Toronto and Durham Region, CP24 Go reported.

At the time he wore a fake beard as a disguise and was called the 'fake beard bandit' by officials.

He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2009.

Ryan was also listed as living at the address of the crime scene when he filed for bankruptcy in 2010, City News reported.

'We don't have any idea with regards to why this may have happened,' police spokesman David Hopkinson said.

A police source told CTV News that two bodies were discovered in the garage at the Scarborough home and the third was found in a driveway.

Police say the man who placed the call to 911 is one of the deceased.

There are reportedly no other suspects outstanding.

Television footage showed police tape surrounding part of a residential street near Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue East, a suburban area east of the city's downtown area.

Resident Jerome Cruz told CTV News Channel that he heard someone screaming for several minutes before everything went silent.

He also heard a commotion and what sounded like 'banging' in his neighbor's backyard. </s> The assailant used bolts, a shorter and thicker version of an arrow, police spokesman Officer David Hopkinson said.

A 35-year-old man at the scene was treated for injuries and taken into custody. Police did not say what his connection to the victims might be.

The incident occurred about 1 p.m. in the Scarborough neighborhood. Officers responding to a call found all three victims dead.

About 90 minutes later, authorities heard from an unidentified caller about the package, Hopkinson said.

Police discovered the package in downtown Toronto, but said it is "no longer a threat." It's unclear whether it was destroyed. </s> TORONTO — A man clad in black fired a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood, killing a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 others in an attack that has shaken the confidence of many in the normally safe city.

Authorities identified the suspect as Faisal Hussain, 29, of Toronto, who died after an exchange of gunfire with police. It was not immediately clear whether he killed himself or was killed by police.

The mass shooting late Sunday in Toronto's Greektown district came just three months after a van struck and killed 10 people in an apparent attack directed toward women.

Police Chief Mark Saunders said he would not speculate on a motive but did not rule out terrorism.

"It's almost inconceivable that these things can happen," said Mayor John Tory. "We were so used to living in a city where these things didn't happen and as we saw them going on in the world around us (we) thought they couldn't happen here."

"This is an attack against innocent families and our entire city."

The slain 18-year-old was identified as Reese Fallon, a recent high school graduate who volunteered for Canada's Liberal party and was due to attend McMaster University in the fall. Her family said in a statement they were devastated.

"She was ... smart, passionate and full of energy. It is a huge loss," said Canadian Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who knew Fallon.

Flags at Toronto City Hall as well as at Fallon's former high school, Malvern CI, and at school board buildings were lowered to half-staff.

" An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends," the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students.

The 13 wounded ranged in age from 10 to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. He did not name the victims, who included eight women and girls, and seven men.

Dr. Najma Ahmed of St. Michael's Hospital said five patients had been admitted in serious or critical condition and that three of the five underwent immediate lifesaving operations.

A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Toronto's Greektown, a residential area crowded with Greek restaurants and cafes.

Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them.

Ontario's police watchdog said there was an exchange of gunfire between the assailant and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead near Danforth Avenue where the shootings occurred..

A spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, Monica Hudon, said an autopsy would be performed Tuesday on the suspect.

Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said police had sought a search warrant for an address related to the suspect but didn't say where.

Tanya Wilson was closing her tattoo shop on the street when she heard gunshots and a mother and her son ran into her store with gunshot wounds to their legs

"They said they were walking and a man told them to get the hell out his way and he just shot them," Wilson said.

Wilson said she tied and elevated their wounds and tried to keep them calm while they waited for paramedics. She locked the door and shut off the lights, not knowing what was happening outside.

Jody Steinhauer was celebrating her birthday with family at Christina's restaurant on Danforth Avenue when they heard 10 to 15 shots. They ran to the back to the restaurant and hid under a table.

"We heard a woman yell, 'Help!' My partner went outside the restaurant and the woman was right there. She had been shot," she said.

Her boyfriend and a doctor who was in the restaurant attended to the woman who was shot in the thigh. "She was screaming and yelling and in shock. Nobody was with her. That was the scary part," Steinhauer said.

Police, paramedics and other first responders descended on the scene, while people, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening.

Though mass shootings are rare in Canada's largest city, Toronto police had deployed dozens of additional officers over the weekend to deal with a recent rise in gun violence in the city, which has seen 23 gun homicides so far this year, compared to 16 fatal shootings in the first half of 2017.

Toronto Councilor Paula Fletcher said the attack was "not gang related" and that the gunman shot "indiscriminately" into restaurants and into a park.

"I know we always say, 'That can't happen here,' when we see those gunmen in the States doing the same thing and it has happened here now," Fletcher said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the confidence that Toronto is a safe city had been shaken. Toronto has long prided itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: "The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave — and we'll be there to support you through this difficult time."

In April, the driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack.

A now-deleted Facebook post indicated anger toward women and saluted Elliot Rodger, a community college student who killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks near the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2014.

"The Incel Rebellion has already begun!" read the post, using the term incel to refer to "involuntarily celibate."

Meanwhile, Ottawa police arrested a 24-year-old man with a knife on Monday during the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. No one was injured. It was unclear if the incident was related to the mass shooting in Toronto.

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in in New York contributed to this report.

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Three people are killed and two are injured after a crossbow attack in Scarborough, Toronto. A suspicious package was also found in another linked event.