A 26-year-old man has been formally charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of a woman inside a Mississauga Canadian Tire store on Monday night.
The incident happened at a store in the Heartland Town Centre near Mavis and Britannia roads at around 6 p.m.
The female victim was found without vital signs and was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
A male suspect, meanwhile, was located at the scene suffering from minor injuries.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The circumstances surrounding the stabbing remain unclear.
In a news released issued on Tuesday, police identified the suspect as Mississauga resident Charanjeet Singh. He was scheduled to make a court appearance in Brampton Tuesday.
Police have not yet released the identity of the victim pending notification of next of kin. Nor have they commented on what relationship, if any, existed between the victim and the suspect.
STORE TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR NOW
The stabbing, which occurred in the garden centre of the busy retail store in the early evening hours, left onlookers shocked and horrified.
In a statement released Tuesday, a Canadian Tire spokesperson said the company is “deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at our Heartland location yesterday evening.”
“The safety of our employees and customers is of utmost importance to us and we are working closely with the Peel Regional Police as they investigate the incident,” the company said. “Counselling services have been made available to support our store staff through this difficult time.”
The statement said the store will remain closed until the police investigation has been completed.
The Ministry of Labour also had investigators at the scene Tuesday as the stabbing occurred at a workplace, though neither party has been identified as an employee so far.
Meanwhile investigators are urging anyone with information about the incident, including video footage leading up to or following the stabbing, to reach out to police.
