Security guard shot after confronting robbery suspect at mall jewelry store

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Shooting victim found inside Fairview Mall

Heavy police presence outside Fairview Mall after person shot inside

A security guard suffered life-threatening injuries after police say he confronted a suspect who was attempting to rob a jewelry store at a North York mall on Tuesday morning.

The shooting occurred at Fairview Mall, located near Sheppard Avenue East and Don Mills Road, shortly after 10 a.m.

“It appears the suspect attended the mall just before opening with the intent of robbing a jewelry store,” Insp. Kristy Smith told reporters at the scene on Tuesday afternoon.

“As the suspect was fleeing, he was confronted by a member of the mall’s security team. During that interaction, the security guard was shot.”

The security guard was shot in the midsection, she said, and was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition. He is currently stable, Smith added.

The suspect was spotted fleeing the mall in a white “construction-style” van, Smith noted. He was last seen heading southbound on Don Mills Road.

“Our thoughts are with the victim who is a member of the mall security team and works closely with our officers on a regular basis,” Smith said.

Investigators believe the suspect acted alone.

“It appears that this was planned,” Smith said. “He attended at the time the mall was opening… right after the store opened.”

He took off with a quantity of jewelry, but Smith could not elaborate on the value of the stolen items.

The inspector said the interaction between the security guard and the suspect was “quick.”

The gunman has been described by police as a white male who was wearing a grey hoodie, grey pants, a blue baseball hat, and a white medical mask.

A mall employee, 32-year-old Romal Patel, told CP24 he reviewed security video that partially captured the incident on Tuesday morning.

“I didn’t see him (the suspect) physically. He came in (with) a box and a duffel bag,” he told CP24.

He added that he heard a female voice scream, “I saw the gun,” before a shot rang out.

“I heard the shot, (a) loud bang, and saw the victim fall down,” Patel said.

Police are asking any witnesses, or anyone with video footage of the area at the time of the incident, to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Smith confirmed the jewelry store has been the target of robberies in the past.

“We understand how concerning this is,” she said of the shooting, adding that there will be a heavy police presence in the area for some time.