Videos of men in the Ontario countryside haphazardly discharging firearms, some of which are now prohibited, have gone viral online, and police said they’re investigating.
“Many of you have seen the videos circulating on social media showing individuals discharging firearms in a careless and unsafe manner. We have as well, and have been investigating for some time,” Sgt. Joe Brisebois of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said in a video released on Aug. 30.
The videos show a group of men discharging rifles and shotguns from a bridge in a rural area near the town of MacTier, located north of Toronto. The men shoot the firearms into the water, into the forest, at the sky, and at the bridge itself. The video also shows the men making comments which appear to be in Punjabi, and displaying different types of firearms.
Brisebois said the actions of the firearms users pose a threat to the “safety of everyone nearby,” and requested anyone with information on the incident to contact the OPP or CrimeStoppers.
The OPP have said improper use of firearms can lead to charges under the Criminal Code of Canada such as careless use of a firearm, mischief or destruction or property, and unauthorized possession or discharge of a firearm.
The bridge on Tower Road sits approximately 4 kilometres west of MacTier, with satellite footage of the area corresponding with geographical features present in the videos. Rounds from some of the hunting firearms being shot in the air could technically reach Highway 400 and homes and businesses nearby.
Ontario firearms regulations prohibit possessing loaded firearms or shooting them “from or across a right of way” for vehicles, which the individuals do in the videos.
One of the firearms in a video dated June 2024 appears to be a Chinese-made Type 81 assault rifle, which became prohibited in Canada in December 2024. An individual can be seen firing the weapon with over five consecutive shots, pointing to a high capacity magazine which is illegal under the Criminal Code. Magazines for centre-fire rifles in Canada have to be capped at five rounds.
According to videos taken by locals at the site after a shooting day, the men also left hundreds of empty shells littering the bridge and road, and did not stop shooting to let other people pass over the bridge. The videos show the wooden bridge and signs damaged by bullet holes, and piles of trash left behind.
While two of the men using guns had uploaded videos of their shooting session to Facebook and Instagram, they have since deleted their profiles. One of the videos had revealed the licence plate of one of the vehicles. One of the men had also linked his Instagram profile to a renovation business located in the Toronto area.
Several politicians have recently weighed in on the incident, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently saying he is “confident the OPP will catch these guys.”MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka Graydon Smith said he shares residents’ concerns with the “irresponsible and dangerous discharge of firearms,” and that the behaviour “will not be tolerated.”
Conservative MP Scott Aitchison, who represents the region federally, said in a statement that “public safety comes first and behaviour like this is unacceptable.”
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