A shooting near a kindergarten in the Don Mills area left three dead

Three people died in a shooting at an office space in North York, one of them was a gunman. According to police, the gunman died after killing a man and a woman during a three-person shooting in the same space. An office worker near a daycare and school in North York was also killed Monday afternoon. The incident occurred in the lobby of a building near Don Mills and Mallard avenues, south of York Mills Avenue.

Toronto police said they were called to the area shortly before 3:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting. Detective Major Alan Bartlett, of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, told media at the scene Monday evening. Officers entered the building and found two men and a woman, adding that he believed the gunman was among the dead.

"We're still in the process of notifying the next of kin," he said, adding it's too early to determine what connection the three men may have. Detective Major Alan Bartlett, of the Toronto police's homicide and missing persons unit, then speaks to reporters about the fatal shooting of three people in North York on June 17.

Bartlett said they believe there was an altercation inside "some type of financial transaction business" before the shots were fired. Four people, several of whom work together, were inside the building at the time, he said. Bartlett said someone inside called the police. Shahrukh Biniaz, a graphic designer and photographer, has a studio at the end of the hallway from where the shooting took place.

Biniaz said that he heard the sound of gunshots and arguments, and a few minutes later another gunshot was heard. He fled the building at that point and called 911. He said he heard more gunshots after police arrived.

"We heard four, five, maybe six shots in a row and that's it," he said. Biniaz and other people at the scene identified one of the victims as a local mortgage broker named Arash Meshii.

After the shooting, there was a heavy police presence in the area, including outside Northmount School, an independent Catholic school for boys at 26 Mallard Street. The school is located along with St. George's Daycare and Child Care Center, which houses two centers in one building. operates nearby, temporarily closed on Monday evening.

TTC buses were made available to students while they waited for their parents and caregivers. CP24 cameras Monday evening saw several young children from kindergarten being taken out in cribs and joined by their parents and guardians. Superintendent Sarah Ashfield The kindergartener told CP24 that police notified him of the nearby incident and, per protocol, they implemented an immediate lockdown.

"We turned off all the lights," he said. "The kids were sitting in the corner until we got more instructions." Ashfield said he stood outside the door of the building the entire time, waiting for an update and direction from police on what to do next. After receiving the green light, he said, they began taking children out to hand them over to their parents and guardians. He said it took until about 6:00 p.m. to pick up the children.

St. George's cares for children ages 0 to 4. Ashfield added that the daycare is expected to open as usual at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. "The kids really didn't know what was going on," Ashfield said.

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