Two 19-year-old men shot by South Simcoe police in Innisfil, 1 dead: SIU

Ontario’s police watchdog says a 19-year-old man has been killed, and another 19-year-old is in hospital fighting for his life following a police shooting in Innisfil north of Toronto.

Special Investigations Unit (SIU) spokesperson Kristy Denette said South Simcoe Police Service officers were called through 911 after 3 p.m. asking for help with a family dispute at a residence on Shoreview Drive, close to Lake Simcoe just south of Shanty Bay and east of Barrie.

“Following that, there was an interaction when officers arrived, and four officers discharged their firearms at two 19-year-old men,” she told CityNews during an interview at the scene Thursday night.

Denette said both men were taken to a hospital in Barrie, where one was pronounced dead Thursday evening. She said another man, listed in critical condition as of late Thursday, was transferred to a hospital in Toronto by air ambulance.

The circumstances regarding the dispute weren’t made clear, nor were the immediate moments just before shots were fired.

Denette said four investigators and two forensic investigators arrived in Innisfil Thursday evening to investigate the incident. They are expected to remain at the scene until Friday.

“They’re out front collecting cartridge cases. They want to look at the firearms that were discharged. They are looking at any vehicles or anything that [was] outside,” she said.

“[The four investigators] are speaking with family members (and) any civilian witnesses who were in the area at the time.

“Obviously, they’d be looking at potentially any surveillance footage or doorbell camera(s). There’s body-worn camera(s) that will be reviewed in the course of this investigation.”

When asked about the footage, Denette said she believed there were body-worn cameras at the time of the incident, but that footage wasn’t reviewed as of Thursday night.

“There’s a number of things that have to occur so we can paint a better picture of what happened here earlier this afternoon.”

In a statement released by the South Simcoe Police Service Thursday evening, it said they were called to a “violent incident” at an Innisfil residence and that following an altercation with police, two subjects suffered “serious and life-threatening” injuries. It didn’t elaborate further on the incident, referring questions to the SIU.

The statement said officers asked the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to conduct a parallel investigation into the incident. It didn’t disclose why that request was explicitly made nor what elements they were asked to review.

A “public advisory” posted on the service’s X account just before 4:20 p.m. said there was an “increased police presence for an ongoing investigation” in Innisfil. It encouraged the public to “avoid the area,” adding that “there is no threat to the public at this time.” At the time, it didn’t describe the nature of the call or the police response.

Joanne Murchison, a resident who moved to the area from Toronto a couple of years ago, said she was “surprised” and “shocked.”

“This is a very quiet neighbourhood. It’s sweet, it’s small,” she said.

Murchison said she’s heard gossip among people who live in the area, but didn’t want to make assumptions on what happened.

Rob Stavroff, a 10-year area resident, said he heard emergency crews responding to the home and didn’t see the scene since the road was blocked off. He said people often go for walks in the neighbourhood, but added he didn’t know who lived there.

“We call it millionaire’s row because it’s more exclusive. The neighbourhood is very upscale. Like it’s not a cookie-cutter neighbourhood,” Stavroff said.

Meanwhile, Denette said any officers who fired guns will likely be designated as “subject officers.” She said the formal designations were expected to happen sometime on Friday. Under the law, those officers aren’t legally required to speak with SIU investigators or provide notes. However, officers designated as witnesses must cooperate by meeting with SIU investigators at their earliest convenience and providing their notes.

Ontario legislation calls for the SIU to finish its probe within 120 days, but Denette said circumstances such as waiting on forensic evidence submissions could mean a longer turnaround time. She said it’s still early to provide a better timeframe for a report, emphasizing that the evidence-gathering stage is underway.

“There’ll be a number of interviews that will occur over the coming weeks,” Denette said.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.