Man fatally shot by police near Toronto elementary school; SIU says BB gun recovered
One man is dead after being shot by police near an elementary school on Thursday afternoon, Toronto police said, prompting hundreds of children at nearby schools to go into lockdown.
Police were initially called to Maberley Crescent and Oxhorn Road for reports of a person carrying a rifle on the street around 1 p.m.
About 20 minutes later, paramedics were called to the corner of Lawrence Avenue East and Port Union Road for a reported shooting.
Police said two officers discharged their firearms at the suspect, striking the man at least once.
Video obtained from the scene shows officers cordoning off a section of Port Union Road. An orange tarp was seen covering something on the sidewalk.
At a press conference Thursday evening, Toronto police chief James Ramer called the incident "traumatic" for all involved.
"We certainly understand the trauma and how traumatic this must have been for staff, students and parents given the two recent events that have happened in the United States," he said.
"We will step up patrols in the area and continue to work with our school and community partners and services will be available for those that require those services."
A spokesperson from the Toronto Police Association confirmed two TPS officers were transported to hospital following the incident, but did not sustain physical injuries. No additional injuries were reported.
Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police that have resulted in a death or serious injury, has confirmed they have invoked their mandate following Thursday's incident. Four investigators and three forensic investigators have been assigned to the case, the agency said.
The SIU confirmed to CTV News Toronto Thursday evening that a BB gun was recovered at the scene.
"Whether the man was holding it or not, I'm not entirely certain at this point. But that will be something that the SIU investigators will be looking at," said Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for the province's police watchdog.
When asked if there was an exchange of gunshots between police and the man, Denette said the available information does not indicate that the man fired at officers.
"SIU investigators right now are going door to door, looking to speak to anyone who might have photos or videos. And that being said, it would be great if anyone does have any information to please reach out to the SIU to assist with this," she said.
A young girl at William G. Davis told CP24 she was in her science class when the class received a message from the principal that they were going into lockdown.
“This is not a drill, get under your desks,” she recalled being told.
“Some of us were fiddling around, some of us were kind of scared. After 10 minutes I knew that this was not a drill.”
She said they were not told anything for a while, and unease grew inside the class.
“I thought someone was trying to break into the school – I was just saying to myself – probably it’s the end of it,” she said.
She and her classmates were later let out of the school.
Another witness told CP24 that they heard "three rapid shots" and then saw officers attempt to revive a male on the sidewalk.
That witness told CP24 officers told him they were searching for a male on a bicycle with a rifle in the area.
Joseph Howe Senior Public School, Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute, St. Brendan Catholic School and William G Davis Junior Public School were all initially placed under lockdown.
Charlottetown Junior Public School and Centennial Road Junior Public School were in hold and secures.
As of 3 p.m., all lockdowns and hold and secures had been lifted.
On Thursday evening, Premier Doug Ford responded to the incident via Twitter.
"Thank you to police and emergency services for your quick action today in Scarborough," the tweet reads. "We’re extremely grateful for everything you do to keep our communities safe."
With files from CP24's Chris Herhalt.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
Protest encampment cleared by Edmonton police early Saturday morning
A protest encampment set up on the University of Alberta campus was cleared early Saturday morning by Edmonton police.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.