Politicians from all three levels of government gathered at City Hall Monday afternoon to discuss the issue of gun violence in Toronto.
Mayor John Tory hosted Police Chief Mark Saunders, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair - the former chief of Toronto Police.
Before the meeting headed behind closed doors, Blair spoke briefly about how all levels of government need to band together to work on a solution.
However, there was little said after they headed out of the hour-long discussion, although Ford was overheard calling the meeting "very productive."
He later spoke to The Rush.
"What is our country coming to? What's our province coming to? Most importantly, what is Toronto coming to?" he asked.
"It's frustrating. It's probably point-zero-zero-one per cent of the population that [are] involved in a lot of these shootings we've seen over the last year."
Ford said both the provincial and federal government have made a commitment to funding mental health initiatives going forward.
Here are official statements from Tory, Ford and Blair following Monday's meeting:
"I want to thank Premier Ford and Minister Blair for coming to City Hall today and for supporting us in our efforts to keep Toronto safe. I know we are all committed to stopping gun violence and sending a clear message that it will not be tolerated in our city. We are united in our determination to take illegal guns off our streets and apprehend those that would use them, while ensuring we tackle the causes of crime and criminal behaviour to the full extent possible."
- Mayor John Tory
"I want the people of Toronto to know that the entire province is behind you. My commitment to you is that I will do everything in my power to keep our neighbourhoods safe. We will make sure our police have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs, and we will work with our municipal and federal counterparts to identify, apprehend and convict those who commit, or plan to commit violence."
- Premier Doug Ford
"The senseless act of violence last night that shocked The Danforth is a tragic reminder that this city is experiencing the devastating effects of gun violence far too frequently. Combating this violence requires collaboration between all orders of government, with the help of law enforcement and the community. That is why this meeting today was so critical. The federal government is here at the table, with our municipal and provincial partners, to discuss how we can all support efforts to end the violence. We stand united in our resolve to keep our streets safe."
- Minister Bill Blair