Two people dead, including one shot by police, in York Region; 3 hurt including infant, young child

Two people are dead - including a 37-year-old man shot by police - and three others were hurt in East Gwillimbury on Saturday afternoon.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing at a home on Ridge Gate Crescent just before 2:30 p.m., York Region police said.

Const. Laura Nicolle told reporters that police responded to reports of a stabbing.

When officers arrived, they found a dead woman at the front door of the residence, the Special Investigations Unit said in a release Saturday night.

After going into the home, police had an interaction" with a 47-year-old man, the SIU said.

Two officers then shot the man, the SIU said. He was pronounced dead on scene.

Three other people have been rushed to hospital with significant injuries," Nicolle said. That is an infant, a young child and a second adult female."

Neither police or the SIU revealed how old the children were.

A York police source said a neighbour was injured in the incident while attempting to assist.

Another neighbour, Diane Grenon, was in her home when she heard screaming outside. Grenon said she could see man lying in a pool of blood from her dining room window.

I said (to my granddaughters), there's a man there . . . I think he needs help,' " she told the Star's Steve Russell.

As I was walking out to go see this gentleman, there was a lady in the truck. She says, Don't go. He has a knife!'

But he was yelling. I could hear him say, I need help!' "

Grenon said she saw two little boys. One was escorted by police to an ambulance. Another was beside the man who was bleeding.

There are no public safety concerns at this time, Nicolle said. However, the investigation is ongoing and there will be a large police presence at the scene.

We're not looking for any suspects so everything is sort of contained," she said.

The SIU has assigned five investigators and four forensic investigators to the case. Two subject officers and one witness officer have been designated.

The SIU is a civilian watchdog which investigates serious injury, death or alleged sexual assault involving police. Five investigators and four forensic investigators are on the case, they said.

East Gwillimbury is more than 50 kilometres north of downtown Toronto.

The home is at Ridge Gate Crescent and Vivian Creek Road, west of the York-Durham Line and north of Mount Albert Road.

With files from Jeremy Grimaldi and John Cudmore

Kevin Jiang is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: kjiang@thestar.ca