Police investigate a fatal shooting at Toronto's Eaton Centre on June 3, 2012.
The 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head at Toronto's Eaton Centre was released from hospital on Sunday, little more than a week after gunfire erupted in the mall's food court.
"The little boy is recovering and is going to be finishing up that recovery at home," said Toronto police spokeswoman Constable Wendy Drummond.
The boy, who is from Port Hope, Ont., had been visiting Toronto with his mother and sister on June 2, a relative said in an interview shortly after the shooting. He said that the family had seen a movie and stopped by the mall's food court for a bite to eat but they were interrupted by the hail of bullets.
The boy was originally identified when his parents put out a statement, but a publication ban was later placed on the identities of all the shooting victims when the suspect appeared in court last week.
One man was shot dead and six others were struck or grazed by bullets. The boy was immediately rushed to the Hospital for Sick Children. He was originally in critical condition but was upgraded to fair condition last week, which meant his vital signs gave no cause for concern but he may have been uncomfortable and at risk for minor complications.
His parents have spoken publicly only through the statement released last Monday, when they said that after complicated neurosurgery, their son was "doing well, all things considered; he is alert and talking. It will be a long healing process, but we are optimistic that he will recover."
The family asked for privacy and thanked emergency medical services and medical professionals at Sick Kids, who "acted quickly to save [his] life."
As of late last week, only one adult gunshot victim remained at St. Michael's Hospital, where four wounded people were taken from the mall.
Constable Drummond said that much of the property, including cellphones and purchases, left behind at the mall when people were evacuated is yet to be picked up.
She said the homicide squad has received video footage and photos taken at the scene but police are asking the public to continue sending it in. "Obviously more is better," she said. "We're still looking for more."