By Julian Jansen
Three Dead in North York Business Shooting, Including Suspected Shooter
Toronto police have confirmed that three people are dead following a shooting inside a North York business on Monday, with the suspected shooter among the deceased.
The incident occurred around 3:25 p.m. inside an office on Mallard Road, near Don Mills Road and north of Lawrence Avenue E. The office is situated near a daycare and a school, prompting immediate lockdowns in the vicinity.
Det.-Sgt. Alan Bartlett of the Toronto Police Service’s homicide and missing persons unit reported that two men and a woman were killed. He noted that the suspected shooter is believed to be one of the dead. “I can tell you that the person that we believe to be responsible is among the deceased. But with every homicide investigation, we have to be open to all possibilities,” Bartlett said.
The police are still in the process of notifying the next of kin and have not released the names or ages of the victims. According to Bartlett, four people were present in the office at the time of the shooting, and two of the deceased are believed to be coworkers. The business is related to financial transactions, and the altercation appears to be connected to the business itself.
Following the shooting, the Toronto Police’s emergency task force and canine units were deployed to secure the scene and ensure public safety.
St. George Mini School, a daycare, and Northmount School, an all-boys Catholic elementary school, were placed on lockdown during the police investigation. Westfield Secondary School, also in the area, followed similar safety protocols.
Children from the daycare and school were sheltered in TTC buses until the situation was resolved. By 6:30 p.m., police confirmed that all children had been safely reunited with their parents. Some children were brought out in cribs to meet anxious parents and caregivers who had gathered outside.
Michelle Riddolls, a mother of two children at the daycare, described her relief after an anxious hour waiting to pick up her children. “I’m happy that the kids were safe and that’s what matters,” she said. “I’m happy that the little ones were safe.”
Vanessa Smythe, another parent, expressed similar sentiments. “I’m just glad he’s okay,” she said of her son. “We’re going to get him home and fed.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow responded to the incident on X, formerly Twitter, expressing sympathy for the families affected and acknowledging the traumatic experience for the children and students. “Today has been a terrifying day for students and children who were locked down in the school and daycare near where the shooting took place,” Chow said. She added that Toronto’s community crisis response program has been mobilized to provide support to the community.
A heavy police presence will remain in the area overnight as the investigation continues, with several roads closed to facilitate the process.
