TORONTO- A fatal incident occurred outside Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Canada, when Peel Regional Police officers shot a 30-year-old man during a confrontation on Thursday morning, April 24, 2025.
The altercation began when police responded to assist a distressed individual in an SUV at the Terminal 1 departures area around 7 a.m., escalating when the man allegedly produced and pointed a firearm at officers, prompting two officers to discharge their weapons.
Toronto Pearson Airport Shootout
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ontario’s police watchdog agency, has launched an investigation into the shooting death at Canada’s busiest airport.
According to Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, officers approached “two or three individuals” at Terminal 1 when one person suddenly drew a weapon.
“Abruptly, one of the individuals produced a firearm at the officers, at which point two of the three officers engaged,” explained Chief Duraiappah. He confirmed that the deceased man and other individuals were at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) for travel purposes and were known to each other.
SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette provided additional context, noting that the man was with family members and appeared to be “in a mental distress” at the time of the incident. However, authorities have not definitively characterized whether the situation stemmed from a dispute among travelers or was primarily a mental health crisis, Toronto City News reported.
No Impact on Operations
Despite the serious nature of the incident, airport officials emphasized that flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) continued to operate normally throughout the investigation. The situation was “100 percent contained outside [the airport] and in proximity to a vehicle,” according to Chief Duraiappah, who stressed there was no broader threat to public safety.
“There was no critical infrastructure threat,” Duraiappah stated, clarifying that this was not an attack targeting the airport itself.
The incident created a chaotic scene early Thursday, with witnesses reporting to local media that they heard several gunshots outside the terminal. Multiple police cruisers were observed at Terminal 1, creating a heavy police presence at the departures level and causing traffic congestion along access roads.
Highway 409 to Terminal 1 departures remained closed for most of the day, reopening to traffic just before 5:30 p.m. During this time, travelers were rerouted through the arrivals level, with many reporting traffic delays but no significant flight disruptions.
Independent Investigation Underway
The Special Investigations Unit has now taken charge of examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting. As an independent civilian agency, the SIU is mandated to investigate all incidents involving police where death, serious injury, sexual assault allegations, or firearm discharge at a person has occurred.
The investigation will likely focus on the sequence of events leading to the officers’ decision to discharge their weapons and whether proper protocols were followed during the escalation of the situation.
Chief Duraiappah acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating, “I can only assume the nature of any dispute is some sort of crisis. We were there trying to mediate the dispute, and then it abruptly changed to a critical incident.”
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