Fatal police-involved shooting at Toronto’s Pearson Airport

A 30-year-old man is dead following a police-involved shooting outside Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Here’s a recap of what happened at the airport on Thursday.

Warning: Some images in this story may be disturbing to readers.

Key details:

• The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said it has invoked its mandate and will be investigating the deadly shooting.
• Peel police said officers were called to the Terminal 1 Departures area for a reported curbside dispute between a group of people.
• A 30-year-old man was shot outside the terminal after police said he “abruptly” pulled out a gun.
• While three officers were present during the incident, only two officers discharged their firearms, the SIU said.
• The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene and early reports suggest he did not fire his gun, according to the SIU.
• Police said there is no threat to public safety and the officers involved in the shooting were not injured.
• Roads around Terminal 1 were shut down on Thursday, causing early-morning chaos at the busy travel hub.

• IN PHOTOS: Police-involved shooting at Toronto’s Pearson Airport

5:30 p.m.

Pearson says the road to Terminal 1 departures has completely reopened, for both parking and passenger drop-off.

3:45 p.m.

Speaking to reporters at a scrum on Thursday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the shooting “terrible” and “unacceptable.”

”What’s the world coming to? You go to the airport and, you know, the shooting is happening? It’s unacceptable," Ford said.

2:55 p.m.

Hours after the shooting, Toronto Pearson says all flights coming through the airport continue to operate as scheduled on Thursday afternoon.

The airport reminds travellers heading to Terminal 1 to enter the parking garage through the arrivals roadway, since the area around departures remains closed for a police investigation.

Additionally, Pearson says travellers can use the Link Train in Terminal 3 to get to Terminal 1, or the Viscount Kiss and Fly. The UP Express is still running normally.

It is unclear at this time when access to the departures area will reopen.

1:50 p.m.

The SIU says a post-mortem exam will be conducted on Friday morning.

12:30 p.m.

Speaking to reporters at the scene on Thursday afternoon, SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said the man who was shot by police was reportedly in “mental distress.”

She said the man was in the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee when officers first arrived on scene. At the time of the fatal shooting, Denette added, he was outside the vehicle.

She said two of the three officers on scene discharged their firearms at the man and he was subsequently pronounced dead.

Denette noted that early reports indicate that the man did not fire his gun.

She added that it is too early to say how many shots were fired and she said she believes the officers who responded to the scene are based at the airport.

12 p.m.

Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said officers were called to the airport at around 7 a.m. this morning for a “dispute” between a group outside the Terminal 1 Departures area.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Duraiappah said officers tried to de-escalate the situation to resolve the dispute between the parties involved.

“We were there trying to mediate the dispute and it was for a period of time,” he said.

Duraiappah said the situation “abruptly” changed when one of the people involved pulled out a gun, pointing it at the officers.

Two of the officers discharged their weapons and the man with the gun was shot by police.

The man was later pronounced dead despite life-saving efforts, Duraiappah added.

When asked why the SIU characterized the initial call as a man “in distress,” Duraiappah said he did not have the details of the dispute between the people involved.

“I’m not myself aware of the nature of what the dispute was about but I can advise that there were two to three people involved in the dispute,” he said.

“They were here for the purposes of travelling and I can only assume that the nature of any dispute is some sort of crisis.”

Duraiappah said at no point was there a concern about “an attack on critical infrastructure.”

“There was nothing that was compromising the airport operations,” he said, noting that the shooting is a “tragic incident.”

“I am absolutely grateful that our officers are uninjured,” he said. “This obviously is not the day we would ever wish upon our people.”

He said body-worn cameras, as well as surveillance footage from the airport, will be reviewed as part of the investigation.

11 a.m.

An SIU spokesperson told CP24 that early information suggests that the man who was shot produced a gun but did not fire his weapon.

10:54 a.m.

Peel police said they will be providing an update on the shooting at 11:30 a.m.

10:32 a.m.

In an update on social media, Pearson confirmed that flights at the airport continue to operate as usual.

Drivers are advised to use the roadway to Terminal 1 Arrivals as the roadway to the Terminal 1 Departures is closed. The Terminal 1 parking garage remains open, Pearson said.

10 a.m.

A man in his 30s has died following a police-involved shooting at Pearson airport, the SIU confirms.

In a news release issued on Thursday morning, the SIU said preliminary information suggests that Peel police were called to the airport at around 7 a.m. for reports of a man in distress in an SUV in the departures area of Terminal 1.

“Officers located the man and early information received indicates he produced a firearm,” the news release read.

The SIU said three officers discharged their firearms at the man, who was shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“No police officers were injured and there is no known threat to the public,” the SIU added.

Six investigators and three forensic investigators have been assigned to the case, according to the police watchdog.

9:30 a.m.

Former Toronto police homicide detective Mark Mendelson called the situation a “logistical nightmare,” with thousands of passengers passing through the busy airport during the morning rush.

Mendelson said the investigators will benefit from the extensive video surveillance footage that is available at the scene.

“You’ve got the Peel (Regional Police) investigation as to what transpired… and the SIU has invoked their mandate,” he said.

“The good news in terms of the investigation is Pearson is laden with security cameras. There is a security camera covering every square inch of inside the terminal and outside the terminal and even the roads leading up to the terminal.”

8:46 a.m.

Regular service of the 900 Airport Express has resumed near Kipling Station, the TTC says.

8:30 a.m.

In a social media post, Pearson airport confirmed that Terminal 1 departures passengers and vehicles are being rerouted to enter and exit through arrivals due to the police investigation.

8:29 a.m.

CTV News was at the airport as part of an election news crew at around 7 a.m. Airport authorities at Pearson International told CTV News that there was shooting just before 7 a.m. Witnesses said they heard what sounded like several gunshots outside Terminal 1 by pillar 14 and 15.

Police have blocked off the roadway leading up to departure drop offs at Terminal. Officers were seen leading passengers who were stuck in traffic up the ramp into the departures terminal.

Judy Trinh, CTV News national correspondent

8:23 a.m.

A media officer from Peel Regional Police will be heading to the scene.

8:21 a.m.

Peel police confirm a man was shot at Pearson’s Terminal 1 this morning. The officer involved, police said, was uninjured.

“This is an isolated incident and there are no known threats to public safety,” Peel police said in a post on social media, adding that delays can be expected at the terminal.

8:14 a.m.

The SIU confirms there was a police-involved shooting at the airport. SIU investigators are being dispatched, a spokesperson for the civilian agency said.

7:55 a.m.

Chris Rhind, a traveller at the airport, told CP24 that he was checking his luggage on Thursday morning when he heard some “loud, popping noises” in the distance. The noises, he said, caught a nearby security guard off-guard.

7:41 a.m.

The TTC says the 900 Airport Express bus in detouring via Terminal 3 due to “police activity.”

7:37 a.m.

In a social media post, Ontario Provincial Police say Highway 409 to Terminal 1 Departures is closed for a police investigation.

7:10 a.m.

Cars can be seen lining up outside the airport following an unknown incident at the airport.

7 a.m.

Paramedics tell CP24 they received a call to respond to the airport but did not disclose the nature of the call or where in the airport they were responding to.