Several moviegoers in three different regions of Canada's Greater Toronto were evacuated and received treatment for exposure to an "unknown aerosol-based, irritating substance" sprayed by masked individuals in theatres showing Hindi movies earlier this week, as reported by police and media outlets.
Despite the incidents, there were no major serious injuries reported in connection to the events.
According to the York Regional Police, one such occurrence transpired on Tuesday night at a movie theatre in the Vaughan area. The police released a statement saying, "Several movie-goers started coughing after two men in masks sprayed an 'unknown, aerosol-based, irritating substance into the air' in a theatre." Approximately 200 cinema enthusiasts were present inside the theatre, watching a Hindi film at the time.
Following the incident, individuals were treated for exposure to the substance, and the theatre had to be evacuated. The suspects, however, managed to flee before the police arrived.
Providing details about the suspects, the police described the first individual as a black man with a light skin tone, while the second person was identified as brown with a light skin tone.
According to CBC News, York police were collaborating with both Peel and Toronto police regarding similar incidents that occurred during the same week. A York police officer stated on Wednesday, "Coincidentally, they took place all within less than three hours on the same evening. So we are certainly looking into the possibility that these incidents are linked."
Peel police also confirmed in a statement that officers were called to a theatre in Brampton on Tuesday following reports of some sort of substance sprayed on the premises. The building was evacuated, and there were no reports of serious injuries.
No arrests have been made yet, according to the police. The statement mentioned, "It is unknown at this time if any other incidents are connected, but our investigators are aware of those incidents that took place in York Region and Toronto."
Toronto police reported that officers received a call on Tuesday night about someone setting off a "stink bomb" in a theatre at Scarborough Town Centre. The theatre was evacuated, and no injuries were reported, according to the police.
Regarding whether the incident would be investigated as a hate crime, a local police officer stated, "There is no obvious indication that this is a hate-motivated crime, but we have notified our Hate Crime Prevention Unit as a precaution, and they will be involved in the investigation."
In a statement, Cineplex mentioned that it was working "closely with local authorities" investigating the incident. Michelle Saba, a spokesperson for Cineplex, emphasized, "Our primary focus and commitment are the safety and well-being of our guests and our team. We thank our teams for helping guests evacuate safely."
Â
