What sparked Danforth shooting? Police chief says investigators 'aggressively' trying to understand

Just over aweek after two people were killed and several others wounded in the shooting in Toronto's Greektown area, police Chief Mark Saunders says investigators are "aggressively" trying to understand what sparked the gunman's rampage.

"What was done was incredibly brutal the loss of life,the amount of people that were shot and the impact it has on the city is tremendous regardless of motive," Saunders told CBCRadio'sMetro Morning.

Many in the community are searching for answers about why the gunman wandered five blocks of bustling DanforthAvenue late onJuly 22and indiscriminately shot into eateries.

Saunders saidthere isn't an easy answer and it will takeinvestigators a "tremendous amount of time" to determine one. Officers are probing the gunman'sbackground and where he might have obtained his weapon.

But he said that to truly scratch the surface, city and law enforcement officials "need to talk about thatelephant in the room" what services and support are in place to prevent vulnerable people from picking up a firearm.

"If we're going to hide under the carpet and continue to do what we do, and then be shocked when we have these outcomes, then we're doing a disservice to the communities we serve."

ReeseFallon, 18, of Toronto andJuliannaKozis, 10, of Markhamboth died in the attack.Thirteen others were shot, with some sufferinglife-changing injuries.

The gunman, FaisalHussain, 29, wasfound dead nearby of a gunshot wound. A police source toldCBCNews thatHussainhad turned the gun on himself following an exchange of gunfire with officers.

Following the attack, Hussain's family released a statement that saidhe had mental health problems for much of his life, including psychosis.

According to a family friend, mental health issues were behind two interactions Hussain had with Toronto police in previous years. He was never charged with a crime.

Court records show Hussain'solder brother, Farad, had a troubled past, including a litany of criminal charges. A police source previously told CBCNews that the 31-year-old had ties to a street gang in Toronto'sThorncliffe Park area, and may have once possessed the handgun his brother used in the Danforthshooting.

What was done was incredibly brutal.- Mark Saunders, Toronto police chief

Last week, police searched the ThorncliffePark apartment where Faisal lived with his parents. Investigators seized a firearm and a computer, apolice source told CBCNews.

Police said Wednesday they have "no evidence" that the deadly shooting was connected to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), though the group had claimedresponsibility.

When asked about Hussain'srumoured connection, Saunders said: "There's no evidence that suggests that and I don't want to diminish the lives that were lost."

"My biggest concern is what motivates a person to want to shoot another person."

Toronto has had228shootings this year, 29of them fatal.The number of deadly shootings in the city has already grown from 17 compared to this time last year.

Before the Danforth attack, other high-profile shootings inToronto public places including the entertainment district, popular downtown destinationsand a playground where two young sisterswere woundedthrustgun violence into the spotlight, grabbinginternational attention.

In the last three months alone, the city has been rocked by two mass casualtiesa van attack that left 10 people dead and the DanforthAvenue shooting.

"This is an unfortunate situation, but there are some huge benefits that can happen as a result of this if we really are brave enough to have afull-somediscussion and not just say, 'Police fix this,'" said Saunders, noting the force responds to 27,000 calls annually.

He said the aftermath of these tragedies can be used as an opportunity for city and law enforcement officials to address the "flaws" in Toronto's mental health system and explore other preventive measures to curb gun violence, before someone even picks up a gun.

"We need to sit down and have these candid conversations from a multi-layered perspective to get it right," Saunderstold Metro Morning.

"Right now, police are the de facto for everything. Lets all take equal ownership and move this thing in the right direction for the first time."

Days after the Danforth attack, city council voted to tentatively move forward on new anti-gun violence initiatives after Mayor John Tory highlighted a growing problem of people improperly acquiring gunsthat were originally purchased legally.

The motionincludednew measures, such as enhancedsurveillance and security, youth programming, and community violence prevention strategies.

It's hopedthe various programs would be supported by some $45 million in federal and provincial funding, although none of the money has yet been secured.

Council alsoOK'd a plan to purchaseShotSpotter, an audio surveillance system that detects and tracks the sound of gunshots in cities and neighbourhoods.

While Tory championed the device asa much-needed tool in the fight against gun violence, Saunders said it's not a catch-all solution.

"If we're using and relying on Shotspotter to define success then we've missed the mark," he said. "Success is when we actually prevent someone from firing that shot."

Toronto police also added 200 uniformed officers earlier this month to patrol high-priorityareas between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. as part of its gun violence reduction plan. Duringthat time, the force has seized over 110 firearms, Saunders said.

"We need to do our best tocalm the city so we can start building up again," Saunders said. "I certainly don't want to be going to more vigils."