Toronto police are on the hunt for two men who are wanted in connection with a suspected hate-motivated assault in the Church-Wellesley Village.
According to authorities, an unnamed victim was walking down Church Street in the city’s historic LGBTQ2S+ hub early Saturday morning when a vehicle drove by and two suspects allegedly yelled homophobic slurs towards the victim.
Police say the suspects parked their car nearby sometime before 12:30 a.m. and were followed by the victim.
The suspects then caught up to the victim and assaulted him before fleeing the area in a dark-coloured sedan, detectives said.
Both suspects are described as white men with thin builds who were last seen wearing all black clothing and black ski masks. One suspect is six-foot, the other is five-nine.
Toronto Centre MP Evan Solomon said he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.
“No one should ever be targeted for who they are or who they love,” he wrote in a social media post Sunday. “The use of homophobic slurs followed by violence is unacceptable and has no place in our city or our country. The Village is more than a neighbourhood, it is a symbol of hard-won rights, community, and belonging for 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians.”
“An attack like this is not just against one individual, but against the shared values of safety, inclusion, and respect,” he added.
Police are appealing for witnesses.