‘No evidence’ to back IS claim for deadly Toronto attack

MONTREAL, Canada — Canadian authorities said Wednesday they have no evidence to substantiate a claim by the Islamic State group that the gunman who killed two people in a Toronto rampage was an IS soldier.

The group’s Amaq news agency said the gunman, identified by police as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain, was an IS “soldier” responding to its calls for attacks on nationals from countries fighting the group in Iraq and Syria.

“At this stage, we have no evidence to support these claims,” Toronto police said in a statement.

“We will continue to explore every investigative avenue, including interviewing those who knew Mr. Hussain, reviewing his online activity, and looking into his experiences with mental health,” police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said.

The attack occurred Sunday night in Toronto’s Greektown area, as the shooter first opened fire at people on a crowded street before turning his attention to nearby restaurants.

Rushing to the scene, police exchanged fire with the shooter, who was found dead in an alleyway.

People sign a makeshift memorial on Danforth Ave. where people are adding flowers and messages to honor and remember the victims of Sunday night’s mass shooting on July 24, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP)

An 18-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were killed in the rampage, and 13 people were wounded.

Hussain’s family said he had suffered since infancy from serious mental problems, which treatment and medication were unable to overcome.

In a statement, the family said Hussain had battled “severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life.”

On Wednesday, however, Amaq claimed that Hussain “carried out the attack in response to calls to target nationals of countries of the coalition” that has been fighting IS in Syria and Iraq since 2014.

A day earlier, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale had said: “There is no national security connection between this individual and any other national security issue.”