Toronto Pearson International Airport Shooting! One Person Dead on the Spot, Police and Man Fire Exchanges of Several Shots! Terminal 1 is Locked Down.
This morning, a shooting incident occurred at Toronto Pearson Airport, scaring many travelers. So what exactly happened? Let's first summarize the timeline. At 7:00 AM, medical staff told CP24 that they received a call to go to the airport, but did not disclose the nature of the call or which part of the airport they were heading to.
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After an unknown event occurred outside the airport at 7:10 AM, long queues could be seen outside. At 7:37 AM, the Ontario Provincial Police posted on social media that Highway 409 leading to the departure area of Terminal 1 was closed for police investigation. At 7:41 AM, TTC stated that due to "police activities," the 900 Express Bus to the airport would detour around Terminal 3.
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At 7:55 AM, Chris Rhind, an airport traveler, told CP24 that he heard "huge explosion sounds" from a distance while checking in luggage at around 7:00 AM on Thursday. He said these sounds caught a nearby security guard off guard. At 8:14 AM, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed a police-involved shooting incident at the airport. The civil agency spokesperson stated that SIU investigators were being dispatched.
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At 8:21 AM, Peel Regional Police confirmed that a man was shot at Terminal 1 of Pearson Airport this morning. The police said that the involved officer was uninjured. Peel Regional Police posted on social media: "This is an isolated incident with no known public safety threat at this time," adding that there may be delays at the terminal.
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At 8:23 AM, a media official from the Peel Regional Police Department was sent to the scene. At 8:29 AM, CTV News arrived at the airport as part of the election news crew around 7:00 AM. Toronto Pearson International Airport authorities told CTV News that the shooting incident occurred before 7:00 AM. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots near pillars 14 and 15 outside Terminal 1.
At 8:30 AM, Pearson Airport confirmed on social media that due to police investigations, passengers and vehicles at the departure area of Terminal 1 will be rerouted through the arrival area for entry and exit. At 8:46 AM, TTC stated that the 900 Airport Express Bus had resumed normal service near Kipling Station. Before 9:30 AM, Toronto Police Homicide Detective Mark Mendelson described the police investigation as a "logistical nightmare." "This is the peak time at Pearson Airport, and the number of people here is very high," he told CP24 on Thursday. "Many American flights are taking off, many Caribbean flights are taking off, and many planes are landing as well," he said. "The number exceeds 100,000 during this specific time period." Mendelson mentioned that the large amount of video surveillance footage at the scene will help investigators. He said, "Peel Regional Police have launched an investigation into this matter... and the Special Investigations Unit has also initiated their investigative tasks." "For the investigation, the good news is that Pearson Airport has installed numerous surveillance cameras. Every inch inside and outside the terminals, even the roads leading to the terminals, are equipped with surveillance cameras."
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At 10:00 AM, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed that a man in his 30s died in a police shooting incident at Pearson Airport. In a press release issued on Thursday morning, SIU stated that preliminary information indicated that Peel Regional Police received a report around 7:00 AM about a man in distress inside an SUV in the departure area of Terminal 1. The press release stated: "Officers located the man, and initial information suggested that he was armed with a firearm." The Special Investigations Unit stated that three officers fired shots at the man, who was hit and pronounced dead on the spot. The Special Investigations Unit added: "No officers were injured, and there was no known threat to the public." According to the police oversight agency, six investigators and three forensic investigators have been assigned to this case.
At 10:32 AM, Pearson Airport released an update on social media, confirming that flights at the airport will continue to operate as usual. Due to the closure of the road to the departure area of Terminal 1, drivers are advised to use the road to the arrival area of Terminal 1. Pearson stated that the parking lot of Terminal 1 remains open. At 10:54 AM, Peel Police said they would provide an update on the shooting incident at 11:30 AM.
At noon, Nishan Duraiappah, Chief of Peel Regional Police, stated that this morning, the police were called to the airport to handle a "dispute" involving two or three individuals. Duraiappah told reporters at the airport that the police attempted to de-escalate the conflict between the parties. He said that when one of the disputants pulled out a gun, the situation "suddenly" changed. The police chief stated that two officers "engaged" with the man, who was killed by police gunfire. Duraiappah added that despite all efforts to save him, the man in his 30s was eventually pronounced dead. The police chief confirmed that the group involved in the dispute came to the airport for "travel." The nature of the dispute is unclear, but Duraiappah stated that neither side ever worried about "attacks on critical infrastructure." He said, "Nothing affected the operation of the airport," and noted that the shooting incident was a "tragic event." "I am very glad our officers were not injured," he said. "This is obviously not the day we hoped for." He said that as part of the investigation, body-worn cameras and airport surveillance footage will be reviewed.
At 12:30 PM, Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for Southern Illinois University, told reporters on site that the man shot by the police was "in emotional distress." She said that when the police first arrived on the scene, the man was sitting in the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee. She said that the police stated that the man was outside the car, pulled out a gun, and was shot. She mentioned that two officers fired at the man, who was pronounced dead on the spot. Denette pointed out that early reports suggested the man did not fire the gun. She also said it was too early to determine how many shots were fired.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496985769353970216/
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