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The rented vehicle mounted a curb and hit members of the public, injuring an additional 15.

Police have identified a suspect named as Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill.

Bystanders claim the driver of the vehicle delibrately hit pedestrians in a "mile-long" rampage.

Minassian has been arrested and taken into custody.

(Image: TWITTER)

A witness, known only as Ali, told CNN he saw the van and that the driver appeared to have been targeting people.

He said: "He kept going, he kept going.

"People were getting hit.

"One after another."

The arrest was praised as a welcome example of police restraint in the midst of chaos, coming just minutes after one of the most violent incidents in Canadian history.

As the suspect shouted "Kill me," the officer replied, "No, get down." When the suspect said, "I have a gun in my pocket," the officer responded: "I don't care. Get down."

Gary Clement, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police superintendent with 34 years experience of policing said: ”It's quite apparent that the suspect was trying to be executed. He was really looking for 'suicide-by-cop'."

The Toronto Police Service declined to name the officer involved in the stand-off, but Clement said he appeared to be a "very seasoned and mature officer."

After the tragedy, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters: "Obviously we're just learning of the situation in Toronto.

"Our hearts go out to anyone affected.

"We're obviously going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours."

An image has shown the smashed up white "Ryder" van after the incident.

Toronto Police tweeted: "It is anticipated that investigators will be on scene for several days, leading to road closures.

"Alternate routes instead of Yonge Street are Beecroft Road and Doris Avenue."

Witness Cam Clark said: "Everybody was out enjoying the sunshine and all of a sudden there was this Ryder van coming south on the sidewalk plowing people down.

"There was a girl near me just 10 feet away and he just ran right over her, I'm sure she’s dead. He just kept on going and people were flying everywhere.

"There was a guy on the sidewalk and one of his legs was totally mushed, nothing left of his leg.

"There were people lying there motionless and people screaming."