Toronto police concerned about retaliatory violence after Scarborough shooting

A brazen Monday night shootout at a public event in east end Toronto is raising fears of escalating gun violence in Canada's largest city.

Gunfire rang out at an outdoor barbecue in Scarborough at about 10:40pm, leaving two bystanders dead, 23 wounded, and at least one trampled in a rush to leave the scene.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Toronto homicide detectives identified the deceased as Joshua Yasay, 23, of Ajax, Ont., and Shyanne Charles, 14, of Toronto.

[ Related gallery: Scarborough shooting ]

Earlier in the day, police chief Bill Blair said the shootout was a result of a dispute at a block party that was being held on Danzig Street, in the Morningside Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East area.

"This altercation involved two individuals and as a result, there was an exchange of gunfire," Blair said, adding that the police have identified one person of interest.

Police previously confirmed that more than one weapon was fired and that a gun had been recovered at the scene.

The chief also admitted that he's concerned about escalating violence.

"We are very concerned with, not only the quick resolution of the solving of this crime, but the potential of retaliatory violence which we often see in this type of event which occurs when individuals seek vengeance for the violence that took place last night," he said.

"We will be deploying significant additional uniform resources into the community affected and into any other area where we believe retaliatory violence may take place. We are doing that because we want to prevent that violence. "

[ Related: 3 victims of recent gun violence rest in same cemetery ]

The city of Toronto has been marred with gun violence in public places throughout the past several weeks.

There was a shooting at the Eaton Centre on June 2 that left one man dead and another fatally wounded.

Later that month, a man was shot dead on a crowded patio in Little Italy where patrons had gathered to watch a soccer game.

On Canada Day, a man was shot in the chest after the close of a fireworks show.

The string of shootings are reminiscent of the shootings in 2005 — dubbed the "Year of the Gun" by media. In that year, there were a total of 52 gun-related homicides in Toronto.

Despite the recent incidents however, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford insists his city is safe.

"We're not going to tolerate [gun violence] in this city. I'm very confident, after talking to the police, that we will make an arrest of one or two or a number of suspects," he said.

"I know this is the safest city in the world. I truly believe it and the numbers show that."

[ Related: Mayor Ford 'shocked and disgusted' by shootings ]