1 person dies in blast at doughnut shop in Toronto

[Canadian Socialist]

Last Updated Sun, 02 Apr 2006 15:02:00 EDT
CBC News

A man has died in an explosion at a Tim Hortons outlet in downtown Toronto on Sunday and the investigation has tied up traffic at one of the city's busiest intersections, police say.

The blast took place just after 1 p.m. EDT at the doughnut store, which is on Yonge Street near the intersection with Bloor Street.

Toronto Police Service Insp. Nick Memme said it was not known yet whether the victim was a customer or an employee.
<snip>
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/02/toronto-explosion-060402.html

What the hell?

[Canuckistanian]

1. Yonge and Bloor?

Yikes, that's terrible. That's right in the middle of downtown. It's a wonder no one else got hurt

[steely]

2. Am curious as to cause. n/t

[KurtNYC]

49. He had gasoline with him

I haven't read the down thread posts yet but wanted to try and bring some calm to those who haven't heard the rest of this story:

TORONTO -- An unidentified man died after an intense flash fire at a Tim Hortons outlet yesterday afternoon in an upscale shopping neighbourhood in the city's core.

Toronto police, dismissing fears that it was a terrorist's attack, said the man brought a can of gasoline into the washroom at the Tim Hortons on Yonge Street just north of Bloor Street, around 1 p.m. Another man went into the men's room, smelled the fumes and ran out. Seconds later, customers heard a loud bang. The ceiling collapsed, leaving wiring visible, and a 10-litre container remained in the washroom.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060403.EXPLOSION03/TPStory/TPNational/

Suicide and arson are possible motives so far.

[Minstrel Boy]

3. apparently he had explosives strapped to his body:

Man blows self up at Toronto Tim Hortons

A man died Sunday after an explosion in the washroom of a Tim Hortons doughnut shop in downtown Toronto, police said.

They did not immediately confirm reports, by radio station AM-640, that a man had entered the washroom shortly before the blast with explosives strapped to his body.

...

The blast happened at the shop east of Yonge Street and north of Bloor, one of the busiest intersections in the city, at around 1 p.m. local time. Traffic was tied up in the area and Yonge Street was closed in both directions.

Fire department spokesman Daryl Fuglerud said the man had burns to his body.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060402.wblast0420/BNStory/National/home

A suicide, or a premature suicide bomber?

[Canuckistanian]

5. God, I hope he wasn't planning to go into the subway

The Bloor and Yonge subway station is the main hub of Toronto's public transportation.

This could have been a LOT worse.

[MADem]

7. I'll bet that was his plan--he got nervous and needed to pee

before he did the deed.

[MrPrax]

34. I'd like to think he had second thoughts...

but good point

[AndyTiedye]

21. Did He Pee on the Wires?

Urine conducts electricity. :oops:

[rockymountaindem]

4. Holy cow! Live right around the corner from there!

I could go check it out for you, but I don't think they want too many bystanders. That's one of the busiest intersections in the city. Geez... that could have been *my* Tim's on Bay. Jesus....

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

6. holy shit

WTF????? I was just in that area last night! Yo, was this guy a terrorist or something??

[rockymountaindem]

8. I'm just as in the dark as you are, friend

This whole thing is surreal...

[Mr_Spock]

9. And I thought Canadians were "nice"

lol - must be due to the RW takeover making them unstable :rofl:

[NanceGreggs]

10. Jeeeez!

I'll be at the Bloor-Yonge subway station tomorrow morning, same as every morning, on my way to work.

WTF is going on?

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

11. well, only one with to do now

despite the fact that this is probably an isolated incident, I am willing to huddle behind my Prime Minster and the greater power of Bush and allow them to strip me of my civil rights and freedoms in order to make sure a terrible day of donut shop bombings like this one never comes again...REMEMBER 4/2! If we stop remembering the day some lunatic killed himself with a bomb in a Tim Horton's donut shop then we give aid and comfort to the enemy! Harper, strip us down please! THank you sir! Now, who are going to invade to prevent further incidents like this from happening?

[NanceGreggs]

12. Good one!

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[Canadian Socialist]

13. Just my gallows humour coming out

but a Tim freakin' Hortons? How Canadian. I, personally, am all set to invade the Krispy Kreme outlet here. Who's with me?

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

15. I keep picturing Bush holding a press conference...

...saying "Well, y'see, Canada wasn't in the coalition of the willing, but that didn't stop a terrorist from attacking their donut shop washrooms and stuff. So, you might as well be with us in Iraq." or some nonsense.

yo, seriously, I can see a bunch of idiots saying stupidity over this. Well, I guess we will find out more during the day and the coming week about this. Hopefully it's just some suicidal eccentric guy who just wanted to go out with a bit of flare. Go out with a bang, so to speak.

...it does worry me the possibility that he was going to the Yonge and Bloor station along with other bombers, but he stopped in the washroom in Tim's, accidentally detonated the device, then the whole thing was called off. That scares the shit out of me. Let's hope it's nothing like that.

[TedsGarage]

36. As Canadian as...

There's nothing more Canadian than Tim Hortons. I've never been to any country where a franchise was so dominant. They should just build one long counter from St. John's to Victoria. If this bomber was trying to strike at the heart of all that is Canadian, the Tim Hortons at Yonge and Bloor is ground zero.

[Blue_Tires]

50. LOL at that!

you infidels to the north need to praise whatever god you pray to that KK has graced you with its presence across the border!

[Canuckistanian]

14. Good snark, welcome to DU!

:hi: :toast:

[Minstrel Boy]

16. perhaps related? Tims to open in Afghanistan for Cdn troops

Tim Hortons to open coffee shop in Afghanistan

TORONTO (Reuters) - Tim Hortons is heading into a war zone to serve the country's troops a taste of home. The coffee-shop chain announced on Wednesday that a Tim Hortons store will open at the Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan within the next few months.

Tim Hortons plans to convert a trailer normally used during renovations of its coffee shops and ship it to the Canadian military in Afghanistan. It will be staffed by the military unit responsible for troop morale.

"We are extremely proud to be able to bring a little taste of home to our troops stationed in Kandahar," said Tim Hortons Chief Executive Paul House.

Earlier this year, Canada assumed control of a NATO mission in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. It has around 2,300 troops in the country.

Reuters, March 8

[notadmblnd]

17. Canadian PM and bush met with recently

now suddenly Canada is ha suicide bombers? Call me cynical, but is it time to make the Canadians afraid?

[wordpix2]

37. never thought it would happen in a Canadian city---this is bad news

[laundry_queen]

40. When I heard about it that was my first thought.

Suddenly, NOW, right after a Bush/Harper meeting?
:tinfoilhat:

[brentspeak]

18. Crazy Quebec separatist?

In any case, a tragedy.

[MrPrax]

35. Not them ...no mail boxes reported missing n/t

[truthisfreedom]

19. could easily have been a gas leak.

they aren't that uncommon.

[Spinzonner]

20. Anybody injured by flying sprinkles ?

Sorry :-(

[wookie294]

22. I'm hiding under my bed

Let me know when Bush has killed all the terrorists, so I can come out from under my bed. Thanks.

:scared:

[Canuckistanian]

23. Take the tuna cans out first n/t

[achtung_circus]

24. This is my city.

TORONTO/AM640 TORONTO - An explosion in Downtown Toronto has left one person dead in a Tim Horton's coffee shop this afternoon. Police sources tell AM 640 Toronto Radio that a man was seen walking into the bathroom of the shop just after 1 o'clock, with some sort of device attached to his body. We are being told that batteries and wires were found near and around the body. Emergency Task Force and Bomb Squad investigators are currently on the scene and are looking for any secondary devices. The identity of the man is not know, and the body is still on the scene. And we are also hearing that Toronto Police are being told to be cautious around any Tim Horton's in the city, as another Tim Horton's has been evacuated at 3222 Yonge Street after a suspicious package was found. That shop is located on Cranbrook and Yonge, just North of Lawrence.
Police are not releasing much more info, as they are still gathering information.
Darryl Fuglerud, a Fire Department Spokesperson says Fire crews are awating a safety call before they can take over.
Yonge Street is closed between Bloor and Yorkville. Stay with AM 640 for more information on this breaking news.

Huh?

[RedSock]

25. i'm nearby too!

Woking at the BOM building (First Canadian Place) -- plus I just got lunch at a Tim's about 45 minutes ago!

[peacebuzzard]

26. and just this morning I reminisced about the Tim Horton's maple donut....

[Up2Late]

27. I blame George W. Bush.

And why not?

Let's hope this isn't the start of something bigger, you know, the "...we're fighting them there, so that we don't have to fight them here..." thing.

[Canadian Socialist]

33. I blame Bill Clinton

cause, ya know, the Clenis is all-powerful!:sarcasm:

[Dunvegan]

28. My husband's back working in Toronto right now.

There's not a busier, nor more symbolic, underground station than the Toronto Yonge and Bloor station.

And, didn't Tim Horton's just go public the other day?

Notice how these attacks in the US and Commonwealth countries don't seem to happen on the liberals' watch?

Only during the fear-mongering Consertavatives' administrations?

:tinfoilhat: Wearing O' the Tin for Tim's....:tinfoilhat:

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

29. maybe Bush will invade Canada...

...you know, because it's clear that the Tim Horton's terrorists are rampant and we must invade Canada so as to fight them there so we don't need to fight them over here. funny thing, I was just beginning to write a story about the US invading Canada in the future with such pathetic excuses...does DU allow poster's literature, like is there a section for it or what? Also, when will I be able to make my own posts? :)

[Dunvegan]

45. You can do it as a journal.

I think it's a wonderful idea.

Serialize your work in a journal.

Publication is automatic copyrighting...although you can add a copyright notice, it's not necessary under the copyright laws.

I think it would be fascinating.

You might try posting the excerpts in this forum.

(Edited to say: E-mail me if you decide to do that...I'd be interested in reading your work.)

[JohnyCanuck]

30. Maybe this guy just got fed up with

rolling up the rim and getting the "try again" message instead of the "Congratulations, you've won a Toyota RAV4" he was looking for.

[Canadian_NewDemocrat]

31. haha

yeah, good point, you never know. I guess we'll find out soon. It's possible it wasn't a bomb at all, just in the post 9/11 world everyone is paranoid by a blast. I mean, seriously, go downtown in any major city and yell "BOMB!" or something nowadays, it'll freak everyone out. Actually, don't do it.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

32. Canada has reached it's explosion death rate for the year.

Everybody above the 48th parallel can relax.

[Canadian Socialist]

38. Update: not a bomb

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060402/tim_hortons_060402/20060402?hub=TopStories
looks like it was a gasoline can.

[Roland99]

39. "He's not a strap-on al-Qaida bomber guy,"

Oh...that's almost too good of a quote to not have fun with!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

46. *snort*

Oh, the images that phrase conjurs up. Bad SWMBO, bad! :spank:

Seriously, I'm fond of Toronto and familiar with that location. I'm glad to know he wasn't a...a strap-on al-Qaida bomber guy. Hee.

[Roland99]

48. That's why I decided to not head down that path, myself

;)

[laundry_queen]

42. fear fear terra terra

oops, gasoline, not a suicide bomber. sorry. move along. :sarcasm:

[hyphenate]

43. Aha!

I say it was Spontaneous Human Combustion!! And the gasoline can is just a red herring! :)

[closeupready]

41. I know where that is - so sad!

and horrifying! :(

[hyphenate]

44. Regardless of what was originally thought

the fact is, the only one hurt in the explosion was the person who started it. But whether it was a suicide or a failed arson attempt, or someone stopping to pee while he went in search of gas for his car stuck on the Don Valley Parkway, no one will know for sure. Unless they are able to ID the guy, no one can ever be sure what his reasons were. It's only putting more fear and more superstitions into the minds of all to begin a news report that it was a "terrorist" when people have been committing suicide from the day of first awareness that life sucks bigtime.

[MADem]

47. Anyone have an update on this???

It just does NOT seem like the normal way to kill oneself. Pills, hanging, a gun, the gaspipe, sure, but BLOWING YERSELF UP in a donut shop???

My "terra, terra, terra" alarm bells went off, yet not a peep out of the media. Had this happened at a chips shop near a tube station in London, we'd be getting hourly updates....even if it DID turn out to be just some unhappy guy with a perverse sense of how to go to the great beyond....

[u4ic]

51. From the CBC:

A coroner will perform an autopsy Monday on the body of a man killed when he apparently set himself on fire in the bathroom of a Tim Hortons restaurant in downtown Toronto.

Police believe gasoline found at the scene was likely used to start the fire at the coffee shop midday Sunday. It appears the man either wanted to torch the place or commit suicide, Staff Sgt. Don Cole said Sunday.

The man apparently carried a can of gasoline into a washroom stall about 1 p.m. EDT at the eatery in the city's Yorkville area, and set off the flash fire that killed him.


http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/03/tim-hortons-autopsy060403.html

[MADem]

54. Hmmm, that sounds considerably different from initial reports!

I was under the impression that he "blew himself up" when that seems to say all he did was become the human torch. Unfortunate, but not a vest and 'splosives type of thing.

[sofa king]

52. The Krispy Kreme Liberation Front claims responsibility.

In doing so, they left this note in a box of Original Glazed which came into my possession:

"Come on Canadians. We know what you've been up to. Your protectionist practices have allowed a known sodomite, Tim Horton, to gain monopoly control over the Canadian donut market. Krispy Kreme makes a competitive product which is failing to reach its promise of high investor dividends because Tim Horton refuses to step down. Turn Horton over to America for inarceration and possible trial, immediately, and the madness will end."

[Renew Deal]

53. Our list of demands

1. Abolish the French Cruller!!!
2. 2 Jelly Donuts
3. 4 Glazed Donuts
4. 1 Lemon Dilled
5. 1 Jelly Stick
6. 2 Powdered Jelly Donuts
7. 1 Coconut donut
8. 2 Boston Cream

Meet our demands or face the harshest consequences!
Vive Le Revolution

[devilgrrl]

55. Leafs fans are losing it!

All kidding aside, this is really weird and awful. :-(

[HuffleClaw]

56. the media attempt to IMMEDIATELY spin this as TERRA was

truly disgusting. CTV in particular.