Man dead after early morning shooting in Yorkdale mall parking lot: ‘Not a random shooting’

At the scene, they found a man in his 20s who had been shot outside Entrance 3, Det. Sajeev Nair told media at Yorkdale mall Thursday morning. Toronto paramedics came to the scene but did not transport anyone to hospital. 

Police said the victim was pronounced dead just before 6:55 a.m. Further details about the victim’s identity will not be provided until next of kin are notified, said Nair. 

“It is not a random shooting,” Nair said, confirming that multiple shots were fired. 

The Homicide Unit is investigating but no suspect information has been shared, with Nair noting the investigation is still in its early stages. 

At the scene Thursday morning, an orange tarp was seen covering what appeared to be a body outside the Indigo near Entrance 3 of the mall. Several yellow markers dotted the ground in front of the store.

Police cordoned off a large section of the parking lot between the A2 North Centre and A3 North East lots, including the entrances to Indigo, Crate & Barrel and Banana Republic. Several police cruisers were parked at the scene as officers investigated. A forensic vehicle was also present.

Onlookers watched the scene from behind the police tape as they walked from the parking lot to the mall entrance. Operations remained normal inside the mall as shoppers trickled in and out of Yorkdale. 

Christine Umipig, a Yorkdale store employee, parked her car in front of Banana Republic just before 6:30 a.m. when she saw two ambulances and a number of police cruisers parked outside the business. At the time, there was only police tape blocking off the area between SportChek and Indigo, but she saw several officers crowding something on the ground.

Umipig stopped to take a photo but in a rush to get to work, she didn’t ask anyone what happened. She only learned that the incident was a shooting through the news.

“It’s scary,” Umipig said, adding that she’s concerned that another shooting happened near the mall. Early last month, a man died and five other people were injured in a shooting in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood, just south of Yorkdale mall. 

Police told Umipig she couldn’t access her vehicle as it was parked too close to the scene and said the area would be blocked off for the next 24 hours.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of the individual who lost their life today. Violence, especially gun violence, has no place in our city,” a Yorkdale spokesperson said in an email.

The mall has 24/7 security and surveillance, the spokesperson said. Police confirmed that they are working with Yorkdale Security.

“The safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority and we worked immediately to ensure there were no further threats to public safety,” said the Yorkdale spokesperson.

“We understand that an incident like this, particularly in a public location like a mall, can be deeply unsettling,” he said, urging anyone in the area at the time with dashcam or cellphone footage to contact investigators. 

Around 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, a woman in her 70s was fatally stabbed in a parking lot near Fairview Mall, around 13 kilometres east. The attack was “unprovoked” and the suspect fled from the scene on foot, police said.

Police are not aware of any connection between the fatal shooting at Yorkdale and stabbing near Fairview Mall, officers told the Star.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-222-8477.