University of Toronto Mississauga suspends classes as police investigate student residence death
Classes were cancelled at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus after a 19-year-old man was found dead in a residence, prompting a Special Investigations Unit inquiry into the police response.
The University of Toronto cancelled classes at its Mississauga campus on Tuesday following the death of a 19-year-old man in a student residence. The incident occurred after Peel Regional Police responded to a report of an armed assault in Brampton on Nov. 2 and later located a suspect at the residence near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Police issued a shelter-in-place order for students in the McLuhan Court complex while officers attempted to engage the suspect, who was not a student but was visiting someone he knew. According to SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette, officers confronted the suspect outside the home, he re-entered, and a gunshot was heard from inside. Police entered the unit after multiple unsuccessful attempts to communicate, and the suspect was found dead around 1:30 a.m.
Denette said police fired more than 20 less-lethal rounds during the operation. The Special Investigations Unit has taken jurisdiction because officers were present when the man died, assigning four investigators and two forensic specialists to the case. No other injuries were reported.
The university announced the class cancellations and lifted the shelter-in-place order, stating that staff and students affected by the incident would be given time to attend to their wellbeing. The institution also offered support to the community and asked anyone with information to contact the SIU.