An unknown substance was reportedly sprayed by multiple masked men in theatres in Canada’s Greater Toronto where Hindi movies were being played earlier this week.
According to reports, several moviegoers in three different regions of Greater Toronto were evacuated and some were treated for exposure to the substance. No major injuries were reported.
According to the York Regional Police, one such incident occurred around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday at a cinema complex in the area of Highway 7 and Highway 400 in the Vaughan area. “Several movie-goers started coughing after two men in masks sprayed an ‘unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance into the air’ in a theatre,” the police stated.
They added that around 200 moviegoers were present inside the theatre and an Indian Hindi movie was playing at the time. The moviegoers started coughing after two men in masks and hoods sprayed an “unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance into the air”.
Those exposed to the substance were treated and the rest were evacuated. The masked suspects managed to flee before the police arrived.
While the name of Hindi movie being screened at the theatre was not disclosed, Ranbeer Kapoor can be seen on the screen in the videos when the theatre was being evacuated, indicating it is his latest movie Animal.
As per the police, one of the suspects was reportedly a black man with a light skin tone and the second was brown with a light skin tone. The Peel police also said that officers were called to a theatre in Brampton on 5th December upon receiving reports of some substance sprayed on the premises. The incident in Brampton was reported to the police at around 7:40 p.m.
Preliminary information suggests the suspects purchased a ticket for the movie and were in the theatre for a very short period of time. The building was evacuated and no serious injuries were reported. No arrests have been made yet. The York police said they are liaising with the Peel and Toronto police about similar incidents that happened recently.
“Coincidentally, they took place all within less than three hours on the same evening,” a York police officer said on 6th December. The police said they are looking into the possibility that these incidents are linked. Meanwhile, the Peel police said, “It is unknown at this time if any other incidents are connected but our investigators are aware of those incidents that took place in York Region and Toronto.”
Moreover, the Toronto police also got a similar call on the night of 5th December about someone hurling a “stink bomb” in a theatre at Scarborough Town Centre. The theatre was evacuated and no injuries were reported.
When asked if the incident is being treated as a hate-crime, the police said that there is no such obvious-indication that it is a hate-motivated crime but the hate crime prevention united has been notified as a precaution and they will be involved in the probe.
The Cineplex has said in a statement that it was working “closely with local authorities” over the incident. “Our primary focus and commitment is the safety and well-being of our guests and our team,” spokesperson of Cineplex, Michelle Saba said.
