Suspect in custody, Toronto police officer among the dead in shootings in Mississauga and Milton

BREAKING:

The suspect in a GTA shooting rampage that left two people dead- including a Toronto police officer – has been fatally shot, Hamilton police say.

More to come…

(Earlier story follows below)

Two people are dead – including a Toronto police officer – and several others are injured following two daylight shootings in Mississauga and Milton which prompted a public alert for the GTA about an active shooter.

Hamilton’s police chief also says that the province’s police watchdog is investigating after one person was fatally shot in a cemetery in that city in connection with the other shootings.

Peel police said Monday afternoon that one person was rushed to a trauma centre following a double shooting which occurred in Mississauga, in the area of Argentia Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard, at around 2:15 p.m.

Multiple sources later confirmed to CTV News and CP24 that a Toronto police officer was shot and killed in Mississauga.

TIMELINE: What we know about the fatal shooting of a Toronto police officer and the hunt for a suspect

The officer was in the area participating in an unspecified training exercise for traffic officers, the sources said. It is believed that the shooting took place in the vicinity of a Tim Hortons.

Police issued a public alert about an active shooter Monday afternoon, but said Monday evening that they were rescinding it.

“I just wanted to let the public know because I know when we issued the alert, that it frightens the public but as of right now, I can tell you that there is no threat to public safety, and we are in the process of retracting that provincial alert,” Peel police Const. Heather Cannon told reporters shortly before 5:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, police said that they were searching for a suspect described as a black male with a thin build and black hair who was wearing all black with a yellow construction vest.

Police said he was armed and dangerous and said that it was “imperative” that anyone who spots the suspect or his vehicle call 911 immediately.

The suspect vehicle was described as a black jeep Cherokee with licence plate # CLMZ 905.

A short time after the first shooting, Halton police said they were investigating another shooting which occurred at an auto body shop at Main Street and Bronte Street in Milton around 2:50 p.m.

Three people were shot in that incident. Police said one of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were transported to a regional hospital for treatment.  

Halton police said they were looking for the same vehicle sought in the Mississauga shooting and that it was last seen near Appleby Line and Hwy. 407.

A woman whose child attends a nearby daycare told CTV News Toronto that the centre went into lockdown because of the shooting.

“The owner of the centre had called me and told me that there was an active shooter a couple doors down,” the woman said. “Very, very upsetting. Pretty emotional, actually thinking about it, because they don’t really understand what could be happening with the police and such. So very upsetting, but thank god he was okay and they kept them safe, and I was able to come down and get him.”

Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Halton police said the suspect was in police in custody.

Police in Hamilton urged drivers to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle, but said there have been no incidents connected to it within Hamilton.

There is no word yet as to what led to the shootings.

There was a heavy police presence visible around a Tim Hortons location at the Mississauga scene Monday afternoon and officers could be seen consoling one another.

The head of the Toronto Police Association (TPA) – the union which represents Toronto police officers – arrived at the scene in Mississauga Monday afternoon, but police did not immediately confirm why.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which probes all incidents where police are involved in a death or serious injury – confirmed that they have been notified of a police-involved shooting on York Boulevard in Hamilton involving a Halton police officer and have invoked their mandate. They have not provided any further details so far, though.

‘UTTER SHOCK’

In a statement released Monday evening, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie thanked first responders and said she is in shock.

“Like many residents across Mississauga, Toronto and Milton, I am in utter shock and devastated in light of today’s deadly gun attacks that claimed several lives and others in life-threatening condition,” Crombie said in a statement. “In the wake of this tragedy, I want to offer my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones who lost their lives in this unimaginable tragedy.”

Premier Doug Ford called the shootings “senseless.”

“Like all Ontarians, I’m horrified by today’s senseless violence, including the killing of a Toronto police officer,” Ford said in a tweet. “I’m so grateful to law enforcement for bringing this situation to an end. May justice for those killed and injured be swift.”