SEPTEMBER 17 UPDATE:
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) said on Saturday, September 17 that a second male victim involved in Monday’s shooting in Milton has passed away. Satwinder Singh, 28, of Milton passed away peacefully at the Hamilton General Hospital with his family and friends by his side. Satwinder was an international student from India who was working part-time at MK Auto Repairs at the time of shooting, police said.
THE funeral for Shakeel Ashraf, 38, the owner of MK Auto Repairs in Milton who was killed in a Greater Toronto Area shooting spree on Monday was held in Mississauga on Wednesday.
Ashraf leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. Islamic Relief Canada called him a “beloved community member” on their Facebook page. The EOSCL – Event Ontario Softball Cricket League – said on their Facebook page on Monday: “We are sad to announce that one of EOSCL Season 7 player Shakeel from Team MSA Qalandars, died in a fatal shooting today in Milton.”
On Thursday, Ontario’s Peel Regional Police said in an update that officers from their Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau are investigating the murders of 48-year-old Toronto Police Constable Andrew Hong of Traffic Services and Ashraf and further shooting incidents that injured three other people in both Peel and Halton Regions.
On Monday at approximately 2:15 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at the Tim Hortons restaurant located at 3110 Argentia Road in Mississauga. Hong was found deceased inside the restaurant.
Hong was instructing at a Police Motorcycle Operations Course sponsored by Peel Regional Police. He was on his lunch break when the suspect ambushed and shot him at close range.
Shortly after this incident, the suspect fled to a nearby parking lot and, while carjacking a Black SUV, shot the male driver before fleeing the scene. That male was transported to a trauma centre, where he underwent surgery for his injuries. He remains in stable condition and has life-altering injuries.
At approximately 2:50 p.m., the Halton Regional Police Service responded to multiple reports of a shooting at an auto shop in Milton which resulted in the tragic death of Ashraf. Two other victims were transported to hospital. They remain in critical and serious conditions and police are not releasing their names at this time.
The suspect was later located in Hamilton and was later pronounced deceased as a result of an interaction with police while attempting to take him into custody. The Special Investigations Unit on Ontario is now investigating.
Police said the suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Sean Petrie, of no fixed address. Petrie has an extensive criminal record dating back 20 years with convictions for assault, armed robbery, robbery, carrying a concealed weapon, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of property obtained by crime, theft under $5,000, failure to comply with a probation order and failure to comply with recognizance. In 2007, he was placed on the National Flagging System after being deemed a high risk to re-offend. His last conviction was in 2015 for a criminal driving offence.
Peel Regional Police said they remain the lead agency of these multijurisdictional investigations and are working alongside Halton Regional Police Service and York Regional Police Service.
Anyone with information on these incidents, has surveillance or dashcam footage, that may have captured the moments leading up to, during, or after the incidents are asked to contact investigators at 905-453-2121 extension 3205. Anonymous information may also be submitted by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.
