Michael Barnes was shot in the early hours Sunday at a birthday celebration
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Homicide detectives say the man killed in a restaurant shooting on Eglinton Ave. W. early Sunday morning was attending a large birthday party.
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Toronto Police said Michael Barnes, 54, of Toronto, was gunned down around 3:45 am at Jamaican Love Restaurant and Bar, near Eglinton and Oakwood Ave.
“There was a large gathering at an establishment. A man was involved in an altercation. A firearm was discharged, and the man sustained serious injuries,” police said Monday.
Barnes was rushed to hospital, where he died from his injuries. The restaurant was closed Monday.
Passersby could see where investigators dusted for fingerprints on the glass front door. Inside, a pool table was visible, along with a small stage, chairs lined up against one wall, a bar at the end of the room, and giant balloons which read: “Happy Birthday” and “33.”
“It’s terrible,” said Jennifer, who was walking by.
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“It’s very shocking. It’s very strange.”
She did not know Barnes, but was familiar with the owner of the restaurant.
“It was two birthday parties in one. The owner and her friend of her. ”
Police are appealing for people with information about the shooting, including anyone in attendance with cellphone video, to contact them.
Most of the businesses beside the restaurant appear to be closed, with ongoing construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT impeding access to the sidewalk in front of the buildings.
“They’re going to catch them. Where are they going to hide? said a contractor named Ron who was working on a nearby property.
“These days guns are too prevalent,” he added. “Information does travel, and they will catch them.”
There were at least two security cameras attached to the outside of the restaurant, but it is unclear if they were working.