Niagara regional police say the suspect wanted for the fatal shooting of an Ontario woman, and linked to an Amber Alert, has been shot and killed by police.
In an update, police said that during the early hours of Wednesday, officers found a vehicle with the suspect — 38-year-old Anthony Deschepper — at a gas station near Thorold Stone and Montrose roads in Niagara Falls.
The force’s emergency task unit “became involved with that vehicle” and after “an interaction with officers,” Deschepper was shot and killed by police, they said. No officers were injured.
Police said due to the officer shooting, the province’s Special Investigations Unit has invoked its mandate and no other details will be released by police. The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers when a person is killed.
SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said the suspect was shot multiple times by one officer. When asked why he was shot multiple times, Denette said that is part of their investigation. She also noted a firearm was recovered at the scene that belonged to the suspect. It is unclear if Deschepper fired at police.
Story continues below advertisement
Deschepper was wanted by Peel Regional Police after a woman was shot and killed in a plaza parking lot in the area of Airport Road and Queen Street East in Brampton earlier on Tuesday.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Hours later, an Amber Alert was issued just before 5 p.m. involving a one-year-old girl.
Police told reporters the girl had been seen in the back seat of the vehicle being driven by Deschepper, but was dropped off with family members. The Amber Alert ended and police said she was “safe and sound.”
They also said it’s believed to be a case of intimate partner violence but would not elaborate further.
1:45
Police investigating Brampton shooting death after now-ended Amber Alert
Another alert was put out, this time by Niagara regional police, at 6:52 p.m., for residents in the Crystal Beach area to shelter in place as it was believed Deschepper was in the area. That alert was lifted shortly after when police said evidence suggested he had left that area.
Trending Now
-
Kenny Loggins demands Trump remove his song from AI ‘poop’ video
-
As Canada nears submarine deal, Germany and Norway pitch partnership
Story continues below advertisement
Denette said officers then found Deschepper on Wednesday at around 2:30 a.m. at Gales Gas Bar where they boxed in the vehicle he was in.
Images from the scene show what appears to be a different vehicle make and model than from the Nissan reported at the time of the Amber Alert. Denette said she couldn’t confirm if there was a switch between vehicles. She said there was also a woman inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting involving Niagara police and it’s believed the woman was in the driver’s side of the vehicle.
More on Crime
More videos
“There was a female that was in the vehicle, and we were attempting to speak with her, but we haven’t spoken with her yet,” Denette said. She was not injured and there were no children inside the vehicle.
SIU investigators are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses as well as collecting surveillance video to “paint a picture of what happened,” she said. She also noted Peel Regional Police and Niagara police are conducting parallel investigations into the multi-jurisdictional incident.
Global News has also learned that Deschepper was wanted in 2023 for firearm-related offences after being accused of discharging a gun at a Brampton residence.
A warrant was put out for his arrest and he was arrested a few weeks later by Waterloo regional police. Those charges were still before the courts with a trial date set for 2026. He was out on bail awaiting this trial.
Story continues below advertisement
— with files from Global News’ Catherine McDonald
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.