When he heard the first gunshot, James Fong thought it must be a waiter dropping a tray, or perhaps a decanter of wine.

The second shot didn’t leave much room for doubt.

“We dropped under the table. It was so loud, we felt like it was right beside us. The place was absolutely jam-packed,” said Fong, a Toronto dentist.

As he tightly held his son, Justin, he heard a thud, as if someone had fallen. Then, at least two more shots. Perhaps three. Several women at tables nearby were crouching, sobbing uncontrollably. He said he still sees their faces, replaying like a bad dream.

Events in London and Paris, where terrorists have attacked random victims, sprang foremost to mind. Could this be terrorism?

They would be the longest five minutes of his life.

“When we kept hearing more gunshots we didn’t know if it was targeted or some lunatic doing a copycat attack,” Fong said. “The fact that they picked such a busy restaurant on a Saturday night . . . I think made it more real, more frightening.”

Police said Sunday they believe the fatal shooting of Toronto real estate agent Simon Giannini at the upscale Michael’s on Simcoe St. in Toronto’s Entertainment District was probably a targeted killing.

It is the second shooting at that restaurant in two years, but police say there’s nothing at this point to indicate they are connected.

“We are keeping our eyes open and looking at all options,” homicide Det. Shannon Dawson told reporters.

At first glance, it was a typical Saturday night out for Giannini.

The 54-year-old would have enjoyed the late summer warmth while strolling through Harbourfront near the lake, even taking a moment to post an encouraging message to his social media accounts.

He headed to Michael’s to eat with a companion. A “fun-loving” man with many friends, Giannini liked to dine in high-end restaurants.

That night out was the last for the father of two young sons.

Just before 9 p.m., a man strode into Michael’s and unleashed a burst of gunfire that police say was meant for Giannini. The shooter fled in the chaos, driving west along Pearl St. in a white SUV. Fatally wounded, Giannini was rushed to hospital where he later died of his injuries. He would become the 41st murder in the city this year.

Police say Giannini wasn’t known to police. “I’m sure it was very frightening for customers,” Dawson said.

Frightening isn’t a strong enough word for Fong. A day later, he was still replaying the scenes in his mind.

“The police and ambulance came quickly. A staff member at the restaurant came to usher us out. When we left, we could see them performing CPR on him,” Fong said.

Fong said he chose Michael’s to celebrate his son’s 22nd birthday. Justin had also just started University of Toronto law school. His childhood friend, Jonathan Chan, an engineering student at the University of Waterloo, joined them.

The three had arrived at 6:30 p.m. They had dined on 24-ounce bone-in dry rib-eye steaks at $98 each, and around 9 p.m. they were starting on a fruit sorbet. Even at that price, they were far from being the high rollers that night. The restaurant sells a 16-ounce Kobe striploin for $768. Garlic mashed potatoes with all the fixings is $20 more.

“The food was excellent, the atmosphere was great,” Fong said.

And then the gunshots.

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“There was no argument or conflict or anything. No one screamed. Just the shots. And then it was quiet. You could hear a pin drop.”

On Sunday, Giannini’s large circle of family, friends and colleagues were suffering from shock, says John Sorbera, who has known Giannini for 30 years.

“He’s a totally standup guy. He didn’t have any enemies in the world,” said Sorbera, a ReMax Performance real estate agent.

“He was a fun-loving guy with a lot of friends. An extended circle of friends.”

Sorbera also described Giannini, who was separated from his wife, as a devoted father to his school-age sons.

“He was a great dad,” Sorbera said. “He was really close to his two boys.”

Sorbera said Giannini immigrated to Canada from Lebanon with his parents when he was about 7. The Giannini family settled in the Woodbine and Danforth Ave. area and Simon later attended Neil McNeil High School in the city’s east end. Sorbera grew up in the same area and the two became close. Giannini worked for Royal LePage Signature Realty and hosted a local talk show on real estate.

Sorbera, who lives in Mississauga, said when he and Giannini spent time together, they liked to eat in nice restaurants and visit some of the city’s nightclubs. Sorbera said Giannini’s Saturday outing would have been a “typical night for us” having dinner at a downtown restaurant.

Sorbera said Giannini also leaves behind his mother, two sisters and a brother.

“Royal LePage would like to give Simon Giannini’s family privacy at this time. The company’s deepest sympathies go out to Simon’s friends, colleagues and loved ones,” a Royal LePage spokesperson, Sarah Louise-Gardiner, said in a statement to the Star.

This isn’t the first time Michael’s has made dubious headlines. In September 2015, two masked men opened fire on a couple in the restaurant. The man was shot in the neck. The woman in the hip. Both survived.

Fong had hoped to stay away from Michael’s on Sunday, but had little choice but to return. He had to take an Uber ride home the night before because his car was in valet parking, which was now a crime scene.

“The experience still plays tricks on my mind,” Fong said. “I keep thinking about the victim. And if the boys had gone to the washroom at the same time, it would be another story. It makes you look at life completely differently. One thing is for sure. It’s a birthday none of us will forget.”

With files from Annie Arnone, Alexandra Jones and Bryann Aguilar