Officers were responding to reports of a man carrying a firearm and “there was an interaction” between the officers and the man, according to the Special Investigations Unit in Ontario, Canada. At one point during the interaction, police said, two officers shot and beat the suspect at least once. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident comes as the United States grapples with the trauma of two recent mass shootings: the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade in Ovaldi, Texas, and a racist convenience store shooting in Buffalo, New York.
“We certainly understand the shock and how traumatizing staff, students and parents have been in light of the recent two events in the United States,” Toronto Police Chief James Ramir said at a news conference after the incident, referring to Yuvaldi and the buffalo. Shooting.
He added that he understood the community’s concern given that the armed suspect was in close proximity to the schools.
“I was really scared, I just started praying,” one of the students told CNN affiliate CTV.
“Four investigators and three criminal investigators have been assigned to the case,” the press release said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford thanked police and emergency services for their “quick action.”
“Many thanks to the police and emergency services for their swift action in Scarborough today,” he said. “We are so grateful for everything you’re doing to protect our communities.”
CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report.
