Const. Andrew Hong, 48, was fatally shot at a Tim Hortons near Argentia Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard at around 2:15 p.m. as part of a shooting rampage that ultimately continued into Milton and left one other person dead and three injured.
So far a motive for the attack isn’t clear but details are starting to emerge about what may have transpired.
TIMELINE: Here is what we know about the fatal shooting of a Toronto police officer and the hunt for the suspect
Police sources now tell CP24 that Hong was sitting at a table eating his lunch inside a Tim Hortons after participating in a training exercise with several other motorcycle officers. The sources say that the suspect then approached and shot him at point-blank range.
The sources also say that it is believed that the suspect tried to retrieve Hong’s service pistol from its holster following the shooting but was unable to do so due to a safety lock.
He ultimately fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, eventually showing up at an auto body shop in Milton where a second shooting took place.
One person was killed and two others were injured in that shooting. On Tuesday the deceased victim in Milton was identified as Shakeel Ashraf by multiple sources, including Toronto police, Islamic Relief Canada and the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada. Ashraf was the owner of the auto body shop, according to neighbours.
“Shakeel has been like a brother to me, like a family member,” one woman, who didn’t want to be identified, told CP24. “I have known him for over 15 years and he has been our go to guy for any issues with the car, any issue with the car and not just for me but my children as well. He was just an affectionate family man.”
POLICE ISSUED ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERT
At one point following Monday’s violence, police released a public safety alert due to what they described as an “active shooter” situation.
The suspect, however, was ultimately located in Hamilton and shot and killed by police a few hours later in an incident that is now being probed by the Special Investigations Unit.
In a news conference on Monday night, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah expressed his condolences, describing the shooting of Hong as “unprovoked” and an “ambush attack.”
Duraiappah also said that a “second innocent victim suffered life-altering gunshot injuries” as a result of the Mississauga incident.
Hong was a 22-year-veteran of the force who was also a married father of two.
He is being remembered by friends and colleagues today as a “gentle giant” who was “larger than life.”
