

Web Staff, cp24.com





The Toronto Police' organized crime unit is heading an investigation into the attempted bombing of an Etobicoke party store after seven packages of explosives were found on the property.

Police stepped up their investigation after officers found three suspicious packages at the Amazing Party and Costume store on Tuesday, bringing the total of suspicious packages found since Friday to seven. All seven packages contained potential explosives, police confirmed.

"This is not a prank. [The explosives] are the real deal," said Toronto Police 22 Division Insp. Gerry Cashman, speaking to reporters Tuesday. "They are being set up by somebody who has some knowledge of how to make these devices. They are very dangerous and could have caused certain bodily harm, death and serious property damage if it had gone off."

All of the packages were safely detonated by police experts. No one was injured.

Authorities said having the organized crime unit investigate the case does not necessarily mean the popular store was targeted by members of organized crime.

The shop was forced to close several times over the last few days as police, staff and even a customer found packages containing explosive devices.

The seventh package was found in a leather bag under a pile of paper bags at around 5 p.m. The sixth package was found near the front of the store at about 11:30 a.m. as 12 officers swept the building for evidence. The fifth package was found hours before at 5:30 a.m. A fourth package was found on Halloween night.

Police are remaining mum on suspects but say they are looking closely at footage from surveillance cameras on the property.

Cashman said inspectors are taking painstaking steps to ensure the property is free of any more explosives.

Police have set up a large security perimeter around the store as a safety precaution, cutting off access to some neighbouring businesses.

Police reopened the area to the public shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday night.



The store is expected to reopen Wednesday.



The discoveries of the fourth and fifth package of explosives occurred almost 12 hours after the store, located on Oxford Street near the Gardiner Expressway and Islington Avenue, reopened after being shut down for most of the weekend.

'Business terrorism'

Staff closed the store after a customer spotted the first suspicious device on Friday, but it reopened later in the day. However, more explosives were found and store owner Sean Hamilton was forced to close the store for the rest of the weekend leading up to Halloween and miss out on some of the biggest sales days of the year.

Hamilton is calling the incident a case of "business terrorism."

His lawyer Calvin Barry told reporters Tuesday afternoon that Hamilton is concerned about the safety of his family and employees.

Police searched the store all weekend and cleared the scene Sunday night, allowing Hamilton to reopen Monday morning.

Hamilton said police told him the building was deemed safe for employees and customers.

It's not known if the fourth and fifth devices were placed in the store after it reopened or if they had been there for days and weren't discovered during the earlier police search.

Hamilton said he has lost about $500,000 in revenue because of this incident.