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Toronto: A wave of fear struck moviegoers in three different areas of the Greater Toronto Area in Canada on Tuesday as theaters were suddenly evacuated after an unknown substance was released during a screening of a Hindi film. These puzzling events, very similar in nature, occurred within a few hours of each other, prompting immediate investigation into their possible relationship.
York Regional Police reported an incident happened around 9.20 pm on Tuesday at the Vaughan Theater where approximately 200 patrons found themselves engulfed in aerosol-based irritants. The masked suspects disappeared before officers arrived, leaving behind a trail of confusion and anxiety. In Brampton, Peel police were called to a movie theater where a similar incident forced an unplanned evacuation. Down in Scarborough, Toronto police were called to a theatre, where, in a more intense disturbance, a ‘stink bomb’ was detonated.
Although no major injuries have been reported, the disturbing incidents have led to a thorough investigation by local authorities. At present, no arrests have been made. Despite the lack of clear evidence pointing to a hate crime, the Hate Crime Prevention Unit has been informed as a precaution, given that the targeted screening were all Hindi films. Around 200 people were inside when a Hindi film was playing at the time.
Investigation into the incident is still on and police have released photos of the suspects. Several movie-goers started coughing after two men in masks and hoods sprayed an “unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance into the air” in a theatre, the police said.
Update: New suspect photos have been released after an unknown substance was sprayed in a Vaughan cinema on the evening of December 5th. Similar incidents occurred at other locations in Toronto and Brampton that same evening.
More details at this link:https://t.co/4KR4bxumFl pic.twitter.com/ERdtwdnc9l
— York Regional Police (@YRP) December 7, 2023
Cineplex, the theater chain implicated in these incidents, has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of its guests and employees while expressing gratitude for the successful and safe evacuation procedures. The company is working closely with local authorities, assisting with the ongoing investigation while taking steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This series of unprecedented disruptions in nature has left local communities and authorities on high alert, as they anxiously await the results of the investigation and the exposure of the culprits behind these acts.
