Toronto Police arrested a man following a threat to shoot mayoral candidates at a planned debate Thursday night at the OCAD University.
The threat was taken seriously as the suspect allegedly showed a firearm to people while making the claims to shoot the candidates at the debate. The event was later cancelled.
The Police said the man allegedly made the threats about shooting shooting mayoral candidates in public in the Mortimer and Greenwood Avenues area about 10:44 a.m. June 1.
In a media release update this morning, Constable Victor Kwong said the man was arrested at 9:30 p.m. on June 1, 2023, in north Scarborough but refused to be more specific.
He said the man was arrested “without incident,” and the man appeared to the court online at 10 a.m. Friday.
Kwong said the suspect is alleged to have made a “a blanket threat” with no specific candidate targeted, and “the place he made the alleged threats has nothing specific to do with the mayoral candidates.”
Toronto Police were carrying out separate but on-going investigation regarding the online threats and the suspect, Kwong said.
“We believe it is the same person,” he said.
Kwong said the Toronto Police was treating them as two separate investigations.
The debate was scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. on June 1, 2023, at OCAD University Auditorium, featuring Ana Bailao, Brad Bradford, Chloe Brown, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, Josh Matlow and Mark Saunders.
Don Young, the co-chair for the Event Steering Committee which set up the debate, said OCAD University cancelled the event because of “the credible threat.”
“Brad and Mark were the first to withdraw because of the threat, followed closely by Josh,” he said.
Matlow said in a statement his team will not be going to public events to protect his team and the public.
Sadly, there has been a serious threat made toward candidates running in the mayoral election. We have closed our campaign office until the police advise that the suspect has been apprehended. I have also told the organizers of tonight’s debate that we will not be attending…
— Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) June 1, 2023
“We have closed our campaign office until the police advise that the suspect has been apprehended,” he said.
Brown who was supposed to participate in her first mayoral debate said in an interview with Humber News that she wasn’t the one to make the cancellation, and people were “overblowing” this a bit.
“This is not the first time someone has threatened to kill me, that’s why I am not moved by this,” she said.
“Every day, people walk around in the city threatened with violence, why would I be the exception?” Brown asked.
Chow said in an announcement on June 2, 2023, she was grateful that the suspect has been apprehended.
Junior Francois Lavagesse, 29, was charged with five offences after threats were made against candidates planning to attend a Toronto mayoral debate. Photo credit: Toronto Police Service
She said she wasn’t threatened personally, but it was important to create a city that “we could all feel safe.”
Junior Francois Lavagesse, 29, is charged with two counts of weapons dangerous, and single counts of carrying a concealed weapon, uttering threats and failing to comply with recognizance.
Police ask anyone with information to call anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.