By Newsmata
A man has been shot at Toronto Pearson airport’s Departures Terminal 1 with dozens of police vehicles at the scene – eyewitnesses say they heard gunshots and screams
Police have shot a man at Toronto Pearson airport – where witnesses said they heard gunshots blaring and people screaming as they went to collect their luggage.
Holidaymakers arrived to chaotic scenes shortly after 7am on Thursday before being swiftly asked to leave. Dozens of police cars were pictured swarming the building’s entrance as cops armed with rifles surrounded the premises and locked it down. In a clip taken by a witness at the scene, travellers were seen abandoning their Ubers and lugging their suitcases along the pavement after being turned away from the airport. “Anyone know what’s going on at Pearson airport? Dozen police cars & rifles out?” one user wrote on X. Another said: “Just heard Pearson T1 is now locked down. Dozens of people abandoning their Ubers (and now being turned back). Anyone know what’s up?”
Peel police later confirmed a man was shot at the airport’s Terminal 1, and that the officer involved was uninjured. “This is an isolated incident and there are no known threats to public safety,” the force said in a post on social media, adding that delays can be expected at the terminal. The Special Investigations Unit also confirmed there was a police-involved shooting at the airport, with SIU investigators dispatched. The condition of the man is unknown.
In another video taken at the scene, police officers were seen approaching oncoming vehicles and asking them to turn around and exit. Chris Rhind, a traveller at the airport, told Toronto news outlet CP24 that he went to pick up his luggage when he heard some “loud, popping noises” in the distance. He added that a security guard was caught off-guard by the noise.
Another traveller, Kevin McLaughlin, told local news he was getting to the airport around 7:30am when he saw “lots of cops” and traffic stopped outside Terminal 1. “When we rolled in, it was just weird,” McLaughlin said. “There was a lot of flashing lights… There was something going on.”
Peel Paramedics said they were “actively responding” to an incident at the airport after racing to the Terminal 1 area at around 7am local time. The Ontario Provincial Police said Highway 409 to Terminal 1 Departures is closed “due to a police investigation”, and have urged drivers to avoid the area.
Pearson Airport said: “Due to a Peel Police investigation outside Terminal 1 departures, passengers and vehicles are being rerouted to enter and exit through T1 arrivals. We will provide updates throughout the morning.” (The Mirror)