One dead and another seriously injured in Mississauga

A man charged in a fatal assault at a Mississauga plaza is believed to be connected to a second assault at a nearby bus stop earlier the same evening, police say.

Peel Regional Police media relations officer Const. Taylor Halfyard said in an update on Saturday that officers were called to a plaza near Dixie Road and Dundas Street East on Friday around 8 p.m. after receiving reports of an assault. When they arrived, they found a woman in her 50s suffering from critical injuries.

Investigators allege the woman was inside a tent set up outside an auction store when the suspect approached and assaulted her. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

Police say the suspect fled the area on foot but was located shortly afterward and arrested following a brief pursuit.

Kent McKerron, 58, of no fixed address, faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

The aggravated assault charge stems from a separate incident that police say took place about 30 minutes before the fatal attack.

Investigators say, a 61-year-old man was waiting at a bus stop near the same intersection when he was allegedly assaulted by the same suspect. The victim was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers were not made aware of the bus stop assault until several hours later and believe both victims did not know the suspect.

Const. Taylor Halfyard added that both these incidents were “random and unprovoked.”

A weapon was recovered at the plaza, though police have not disclosed what it was. The cause of the assaults remains under investigation.

Police said residents can expect an increased presence in the area but emphasized there is no ongoing threat to public safety, as the suspect remains in custody.