Yet another daylight attack on random passersby in Toronto has residents of the city wondering what the next absurd incident of violence will be.

Police raced to a restaurant in Kensington Market around noon on Tuesday following reports that someone was ambushing strangers with bear spray, both outside and in the business.

The force said they were receiving multiple 9-1-1 calls from the area and advised people around Nassau Street and Augusta Avenue to be extra cautious amid the public safety alert.

While residents are disressed about the perceived increase in violent crime in the city as of late — especially inpublic placeswhereinnocent bystandersare affected — many are finding this most recent episode to be alarming and ridiculous in equal measure.

I survived the great kensington bear spray attack of august 2023https://t.co/jX3HvpAjP0

— sam (@samanthawalto)August 15, 2023

Social media is full of many "typical day in Toronto" and "average day in Kensington Market"quips— as well as a few other humorous gemssuch as"Toronto, I told you to stop trying to be Florida!" — alongsidegenuine concernabout the assault.

Many are finding the use of bear spray to be particularly upsetting, as the product is stronger than pepper spray, with a higher concentration of capsaicin intended for use in life-or-death encounters with bears.

The pressurized substance is a severe irritant to the eyes, nose, throat, and mucuous membranes of the upper respiratory system, and can cause coughing, tearing up, swelling and even temporary blindness and difficulty breathing in anyone near the spray zone.

Just a normal day in Toronto, someone spraying bear spray in a restaurantpic.twitter.com/3kIhWPKsDN

— Ian Prittie (@thereds8)August 15, 2023

Bear spray, along with dog spray, falls under the Pest Control Products Act and is legal to carry in Canadaonlyto ward off wild animals. The label must clearly indicate the intended use, and containers can only be up to 500mL in size.

You can be criminally charged for using the deterrent on humans, of course, or even for carrying it in certain situations where the intent could be to harm a person.

Getting caught with it on you while walking around somewhere like Kensington Market, for example, could result in a concealed or restricted weapons charge.

#Toronto
Shootings, stabbings & now this ...
We have a very serious crisis of mental health afflicted individuals on the streets with NO treatment.
Yet#CityHallhas $ for changing#DundasStname, over $300 million for#JohnTorysoccer games & a dancing#MayorChowhttps://t.co/0jpv1obh9o

— BrindusaB (@BrindusaB1)August 15, 2023

Authorities managed to apprehend the suspect, a 45-year-old male, as well as his weapon without further incident around 12:35 p.m.

It is unknown how many people were sprayed, but at least one was taken to hospital. Strangely enough, 17 people were hospitalizedafter a similar attackwith bear mace at a camp near Montreal yesterday.