Two adults killed in shooting at office building in north Toronto, police say; gunman also dead

A gunman opened fire at a financial business in north Toronto on Monday and killed two people, prompting lockdowns at a nearby daycare and a school, police say.

Detective Sergeant Alan Bartlett said the suspected attacker was also killed in the incident, which happened at a commercial building in the city’s Don Mills neighbourhood around 3:30 p.m., though he declined to say how exactly the gunman died. The victims, who were not identified, were a man and a woman.

Det. Sgt. Bartlett said the shooting took place at a business involved in “financial transactions” and that investigators believe the incident was related to that business. He declined to provide more details or name the business.

He said there were four people inside the business at the time of the shooting, adding that there is no access between the commercial offices and the daycare.

Earlier in the day, police said on the social-media platform X that officers who responded found three people with injuries in what they described as a lobby area of the building.

The area was cordoned off as emergency task forces and canine units cleared the building. Police said all of the students and children at the nearby private Catholic Northmount School and the St. George Mini School daycare were safe and accounted for.

Shahrokh Biniaz, who runs a photography and design studio in the same building, said he was hard at work when he heard arguing followed by a loud bang.

“I had no idea they were gunshots at first,” he said.

Mr. Biniaz said he heard the sound again along with shouting, and then he slowly left the building and called police.

After police arrived on-site, he said, he heard between five and seven more gunshots.

Parents hugged their children tight after they were reunited just outside the police tape at St. George Mini School daycare. Police tape blocked off a stretch of the tree-lined street, and multiple police cars were parked in the area.

Sarah Ashfield, a supervisor at the daycare, said they went on lockdown after getting instructions from police around 3:30 p.m.

“Once police officers gave us direction that we can have a pickup space here at LA Fitness, we separated into two groups and we brought out the kids,” she said.

Ms. Ashfield said parents were visibly shocked and upset.

“I’ve been working here for 11 years – this is the first time anything like this has happened. This area is usually quiet – two daycares, a high school, a private school and a church.”

With a report from The Canadian Press