Family of Toronto gunman says he had history of psychosis

Police in Toronto.
(Image credit: Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images)

Police have identified the suspect in Sunday night's shooting on a busy Toronto street as Faisal Hussain, 29.

The attack left two people dead — an unidentified 10-year-old girl and Reese Fallon, 18, a recent high school graduate who was going to start classes at McMaster University in Toronto this fall. More than a dozen people were injured and remain hospitalized. Police said two officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect on a side street near where the attack took place. He was found dead there, and it's not clear yet if he shot himself or he was killed during the shootout.

Hussain's family released a statement saying he had a history of depression and psychosis, which medication was unable to treat. "While we did our best to seek help for him throughout his life of struggle and pain, we could never imagine that this would be his devastating and destructive end," the family said. "Our hearts are in pieces for the victims and for our city as we all come to grips with this terrible tragedy. We will mourn those who were lost for the rest of our lives." Police said they do not have a motive for the attack.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.