Toronto police and MLSE are taking extra security precautions outside the ACC following the van incident at Yonge and Finch today that left nine people dead and 16 injured.
York Street will be closed between Lake Shore Boulevard and Front Street and there will be no eastbound traffic allowed on Bremner Boulevard from Simcoe Street.
The playoff tailgate event at Maple Leaf Square will be going ahead as planned.
The Maple Leafs are facing off against the Boston Bruins in Game 6 tonight in Toronto. The Bruins leads the series 3-2.
Nine people were killed and 16 injured after a van drove down the sidewalk on Yonge Street between Finch and Sheppard, plowing through pedestrians.
Toronto police confirmed the death count during an update just before 5 p.m.
The driver fled, but was apprehended shortly after at Yonge and Sheppard. He is now in custody. He’s been identified as 25-year-old Alek Minassian, according to a CBS News source.
Mayor Tory advised the public to stay away from the area and asked businesses in the immediate area to close.
Police say they were first called at around 1:30 p.m., and arrived on scene to find several bodies scattered throughout the area.
Public safety minister Ralph Goodale said it was too soon to draw any conclusions about Monday’s incident. He added that Canada’s risk level remains unchanged at Medium.
Witness Cam Clark explained to 680 NEWS how quickly the idyllic afternoon was shattered by screams.
“Everybody was out enjoying the sunshine and all of a sudden there was this Ryder van coming south on the sidewalk … plowing people down,” he said. “There was a girl near me just 10 feet away and he just ran right over her. I’m sure she’s dead. He just kept on going and people were flying everywhere.”
“There was a guy on the sidewalk and one of his legs was totally mushed, nothing left of his leg. There were people lying there motionless and people screaming.”
