Man killed near Toronto school was carrying pellet gun: police

Police say that they responded to reports of someone carrying a rifle in the Port Union neighborhood around 1 pm. The suspect was described as a man in either their late teens or early 20s, wearing a long jacket and a baseball hat, according to Global News.

It was later discovered that the man was 27 years old, and he was shot dead at the scene.

The SIU said that a firearm is defined as "a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person."

The event took place near William G. Davis Junior Public School in Scarborough.

"Due to the proximity to a school, I certainly understand the trauma and how traumatic this must have been for staff, students and parents, given the recent events that have happened in the United States," Toronto Police Chief James Ramer told reporters Thursday afternoon.

The shooting came just after a lone gunman entered a school in Texas, where he killed 19 children and two teachers.