A cinema hall packed with 200 people was evacuated after two masked men allegedly sprayed allergic substances during the screening of an Indian movie on Tuesday, according to reports.
The incident took place at a cinema complex in Vaughan, York Regional Police. As soon as the incident took place, police were informed, and several people were treated for allergic substance exposure.
The police said an unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance was sprayed into the air by unidentified men. However, no serious injuries were reported. According to the police, the suspect was a black and light-skinned man, while the second suspect was brown and light-skinned.
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York police said they were liaising with both Peel and Toronto police about similar incidents that happened this week. CBC News reported, adding, “Coincidentally, they took place all within less than three hours on the same evening.”
“So we are certainly looking into the possibility that these incidents are linked,” said York police in a statement. No arrests have been made yet. When asked if the incidents might be hate-motivated crimes, Sgt. Clint Whitney said the investigation was in an early stage and refused to comment.
SUSPECTS SOUGHT AFTER UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE SPRAYED IN VAUGHAN MOVIE THEATRE.
At 9:20 p.m. last night, YRP responded to a cinema near Hwy 7/Hwy 400 after movie patrons began coughing due to an unknown substance being sprayed by two suspects.
More info here:https://t.co/wAVs6VhiqT pic.twitter.com/vkbMQQKPCA
— York Regional Police (@YRP) December 6, 2023
“There is no obvious indication that this is a hate-motivated crime, but we have notified our Hate Crime Prevention Unit as a precaution and they will be involved in the investigation,” said an officer.
In a statement, Cineplex said it was working closely with local authorities investigating the incident. “Our primary focus and commitment is the safety and well-being of our guests and our team,” Michelle Saba, a spokesperson for Cineplex, told the media.
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