TORONTO — A man with five guns and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition set himself up beside a Beaches water plant yesterday planning to commit mass homicide. But a dog’s affection apparently persuaded him not to go through with his plan.
The man started to ready his weapons in the early afternoon sunshine outside the grounds of the R.C. Harris filtration plant at Victoria Park Avenue and Queen Street. He later told police that he planned to shoot people in the park and then drive around the city killing whomever he could to ensure he would get life in jail.
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The man had several rifles and telescopic lenses, a camouflage balaclava, as well as a .357 magnum and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, a machete and other knives.
He had loaded his pistols and was readying the rifles, police said. They were in his car’s trunk along with the ammunition; he had removed the safeties and trigger locks.
He changed his mind when a dog on a walk in the park would not leave him alone.
“He happens to be a pet lover, and he decided that if there was such a nice dog in the area the people were too nice and he wasn’t going to carry out his plan,” Det. Ashley said.
He was not known to police, and all his guns were registered.
I’m sure someone at Animal Control is checking into leash law violations, though.