No, not yet. No terrorists in Canada.

Originally Posted by CBC News, APRIL 2, 2006

No terrorism in deadly Toronto doughnut shop explosion: police
Last Updated Sun, 02 Apr 2006 22:39:25 EDT
CBC News
Police have ruled out terrorism as the cause of an explosion at a Tim Hortons doughnut shop in a trendy downtown area of Toronto on Sunday, killing one man.

The victim was likely an arsonist or attempting suicide, Staff Sgt. Don Cole of Toronto police told reporters hours after the explosion.


Emergency officials walk outside the Tim Hortons in Toronto where an explosion killed a man on Sunday.
"He's not a strap-on al-Qaeda bomber guy," Cole said. "It sounds to me like a guy who either wanted to do a torch job or commit suicide."

Police said the man apparently carried a can of gasoline into a washroom stall about 1 p.m. local time at the doughtnut shop in the city's Yorkville area, and set off a flash fire that killed him.

The victim was an unidentified male who was pronounced dead at the scene with severe burns to his body. Nobody else was injured.

A Tim Hortons spokesman later confirmed the victim was not an employee.

Explosion triggered flash fire: police

Police Chief Bill Blair earlier described the incident as a flash fire rather than a bombing. Two blocks in the downtown area were cordoned off as police investigated.

"It appears that there has been a very hot and intense fire in an enclosed area within the washroom," Blair said. But he declined to speculate on the cause of the fire.

"Until we determine precisely what happened in that cubicle and what caused those flames that took that man's life, I really can't speculate," he said.

Police could not confirm reports the man was seen entering the washroom with wires or possibly explosives strapped to his body.

The ceiling fell down on the victim, bringing down wires and batteries from an air-freshening device that might have contributed to suspicions of a bomb, Cole said.

After the incident, a police robot was used to remove a duffel bag from the doughnut shop, which is on Yonge Street just north of the intersection with Bloor Street. Explosives experts detonated the bag with a loud bang.


Toronto police Chief Bill Blair answers reporters' questions outside the doughnut shop Sunday. (Patrick Morell/CBC photo)
Police also evacuated a second Tim Hortons a few kilometres north and detonated a suspicious package. It contained a clock in a shopping bag.

Eunice Almeida, 23, a regular patron of the coffee outlet, told the Canadian Press that a shock wave went through the restaurant.

"There was an explosion in the men's washroom, then there was a stampede and everybody ran out," Almeida said.

Eyewitness Jenny Phillips told Reuters that she heard bangs like pops from a firecracker and a scream "that will haunt me forever" as she left the washroom area.

She smelled burnt powder and saw a "wall of flames" inside the men's washroom before staff herded the two dozen customers outside.

"I thought the roof was caving in," she said. "People were screaming."


A police robot removes a suspicious parcel from the shop in the aftermath of the explosion.
Blast rattles shop workers

Employees who appeared shaken were escorted from the scene, and some attempted to shield their faces from the throng of television cameras.

They refused to answer questions, but Tim Hortons district manager Amin Islam said they were doing well. "I'm just making sure they're going home safely," he said.

Daryl Fuglerud, a spokesman with Toronto's fire department, told reporters the man who died had burns to his body.

"It doesn't appear that there was much of a fire at all," Fuglerud said. "There was a very small amount of smoke upon our arrival."

Fuglerud said the investigation was turned over to police because it was a "possible criminal" case.

SOURCE: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...2.html?ref=rss

So now we've got pyromaniacs running about in Canada, but nope, it's not terrorism. Okay then. This has gotten me to think where murder ends and terrorism starts. Terrorism usually does have a motive to make a statement, but perhaps this particular case was the individual making a statement that his life sucks and has found a new use for gasoline besides his car. Herm. Discuss.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

*sigh* how paranoid we've all become. What happened to the time when terrorism was a far cry from our train of thought? I guess we've been lucky in Canada, but if this has become the instant initial thought, then oh dear.

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I'm pretty sure this is a case of one fucked up guy, not a political thing. We've always had crazy killers who sure as hell weren't branded terrorists.

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Originally Posted by Spatula

This has gotten me to think where murder ends and terrorism starts. Terrorism usually does have a motive to make a statement, but perhaps this particular case was the individual making a statement that his life sucks and has found a new use for gasoline besides his car.

Terrorism isn't just about making a statement, it's about frightening people into your way of thinking, or punishing them for not believing what you do. It sounds like this guy was just a nutcase who wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

True, taking a look at Carla Homolka and other notorious serial killers, it's when the case is secluded to a particular target that you want to kill rather than a general population and want to further your political statement.

Originally Posted by Dictionary.com

3 entries found for terrorism.
ter·ror·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (tr-rzm)
n.
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

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Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


Main Entry: ter·ror·ism
Pronunciation: 'ter-&r-"i-z&m
Function: noun
1 : the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion
2 : violent and intimidating gang activity <street terrorism> —ter·ror·ist /-ist/ adj or noun —ter·ror·is·tic /"ter-&r-'is-tik/ adjective


Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.


terrorism

n : the calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimindation or coercion or instilling fear [syn: act of terrorism, terrorist act]

Seeing from the article, it doesn't really mention the motives of the deceased individual. I blame it on Grand Theft Auto.

Originally Posted by nuttyturnip

Terrorism isn't just about making a statement, it's about frightening people into your way of thinking, or punishing them for not believing what you do. It sounds like this guy was just a nutcase who wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.

Indeed. Well he did go out with quite the spark.

How ya doing, buddy?

When I first heard about the explosion I made the following joke: "Great, now al-Qaeda is after one of our national landmarks." - it was funny at the time.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Last I heard on the police scanner was that it was just a carless janitor with a cigarette and some cleaning supplies - and the bag was just accidentially left by a shopper.

Just coincidence probably.

FELIPE NO