Police have released more details surrounding Monday’s shooting rampage including that the suspect had arrived at the coffee shop in Mississauga two hours prior to killing Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong.
In an update on Thursday, Peel and Halton’s police chiefs spoke at a news conference outlining additional information learned after several shootings that claimed the lives of two men and injured three others.
Peel Regional Police chief Nishan Duraiappah said the suspect — identified as 40-year-old Sean Petrie — had been at the Tim Hortons, in the area of Winston Churchill Boulevard and Argentia Road, for two hours and 15 minutes before fatally shooting Hong.
Petrie had driven there in a red Toyota Corolla and parked it in an adjacent lot, Duraiappah said.
Const. Hong, a 22 year veteran for Toronto police, was in Mississauga for a motorcycle operation course sponsored by Peel when he took his lunch break.
The 48-year-old officer had offered to get his colleagues coffee when the “suspect ambushed and shot him at close range,” Duraiappah said.
Hong was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they believe the motive for shooting Hong was he was deliberately targeted and that Petrie was “looking for” a “uniformed officer.”
After Hong was shot, Duraiappah said Petrie then fled the Tim Hortons and shot and carjacked another victim in the parking lot and successfully stole the vehicle.
That victim is now in stable condition, Duraiappah said, but has suffered life-altering injuries.
The suspect then proceeded to Milton where he shot three people at an autobody shop, MK Auto Repairs on Bronte Street near Main Street.
The owner, 38-year-old Shakeel Ashraf, died as a result of the shooting.
Halton Regional Police chief Stephen Tanner provided further details Thursday on the other two men who were injured.
Tanner said the second victim, a 28-year-old international exchange student who was working part time at the autobody shop, is on life support and is not expected to survive.
Out of respect for the family, Tanner said police would not be releasing his name yet but anticipate to do so soon.
The third victim, a 43-year-old man who also worked at the shop, was shot in the leg but has since been released from hospital and is recovering at home, Tanner said.
Tanner also noted that “other innocent civilians and employees were there” at the time of the shooting.
He said he “acknowledges” that Petrie did work at the autobody shop for a short period of time and had heard “rumors” of threats. But Tanner said their investigation is looking into evidence of those threats.
The stolen vehicle from Mississauga was then located at a cemetery in Hamilton, very close to the Burlington-Hamilton border, Tanner said.
Following an altercation between both officers from Halton Region and Hamilton, Tanner said Petrie was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating and reviewing that incident between officers and Petrie.
In an update Thursday, the SIU said preliminary information suggests there was an “exchange of gunfire” between the suspect and officers.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers in incidents that have resulted in death, serious injury, or alleged sexual assault.
However, Tanner said he expects the SIU investigation to be completed soon.
Tanner also went on to say that the suspect had a handgun illegally and noted that 90 per cent of handguns have been traced back to their origin in the United States.
“Obviously, he was not a lawful gun owner,” Tanner said.
The handgun is currently in the possession of the SIU as they conduct their investigation but Tanner said he is waiting for information from that specific firearm to determine if it in fact came from south of the border.
Petrie had an extensive criminal record. He had numerous charges against him over a several year period including assault, armed robbery, carrying a concealed weapon, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a restricted/loaded firearm, breach of probation, and several property and driving offences.
He was also the subject of a firearms prohibition.
In March 2007, Duraiappah said Petrie was placed in national flagging system as a high risk to reoffend.
Petrie was estranged from his family, Duraiappah said, adding different family members said it had been around one to over five years from the last time they spoke to him.
Police also said Petrie was also living in his car and did not have a permanent address.
Duraiappah said they are asking for the public’s help in finding more information on Petrie such as what he was doing in the hours, days and weeks prior to the shooting rampage and what his lifestyle was like in order to provide more answers.
“This is the problem and why we’re here today is to shake the trees a bit and see if we can stimulate somebody that had contact with him to find out what the catalysts were that day was,” Duraiappah said.
“We’re exploring every option. Was it specific to Constable Hong? Was it a generalized to anybody in uniform? … It’s tedious to work backwards,” Duraiappah continued.
Following a reporter question on whether Const. Hong had previously arrested the suspect before, Duraiappah said they’re working in a “process of exclusion” to find out “why and how.”
However, investigators have implied they’re leaning towards the theory that the suspect was looking for any officer in uniform.