A Nigerian man, Osemwengie Irorere, has been shot dead during a violent incident at a bus terminal in Toronto, Canada, marking the city’s first homicide of 2026.
Toronto Police said the 46-year-old Nigerian was killed on Sunday evening after he was shot on a GO Transit bus at the Yorkdale bus terminal in North York, close to the popular Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
According to a police statement released on Wednesday, officers were called to the scene around 7 pm, where they found Irorere with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the suspect, a 40-year-old Toronto resident, allegedly fled on foot after the shooting but was arrested shortly afterwards. Investigators also confirmed that a firearm was recovered.
“The victim and the suspect boarded a bus at the Yorkdale GO bus terminal before the shooting occurred,” police said.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Tyrel Gibson, who has now been charged with one count of first-degree murder. Police confirmed that he appeared in court on Monday.
The killing has been confirmed as Toronto’s first homicide of the year.
Court records cited by Canadian media revealed that Gibson has a long criminal history dating back almost 20 years. He was previously charged with attempted murder on two occasions in 2013 and later pleaded guilty to lesser offences.
In 2015, he also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, firearm-related offences and possession of an unauthorised weapon. He was given a lifetime ban from owning weapons and was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2017, although details of how long he served remain unclear.
Toronto Police appealed to members of the public with information to come forward, urging them to contact investigators or provide tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Meanwhile, Metrolinx, the agency that operates GO Transit, advised passengers who feel unsafe on buses or trains to seek help by using the yellow emergency strip or by texting “HELP” to 77777 for immediate assistance.
