SHOOTING: Man in critical condition after violent incident in Mississauga

A man who was rushed to hospital in critical condition following a shooting near Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga on Thursday morning was coming to the aid of a woman during a robbery attempt when he was shot, police say.

Police said three armed suspects fled in a black Jeep Wrangler moments after the 11 a.m. “targeted” shooting took place in the parking lot of an industrial plaza in the Derry Road/Cardiff Boulevard area of Malton, a couple of blocks west of the airport and near Dixie Road.

Peel Regional Police told reporters at the scene a woman and man were inside a Cadillac Escalade when the woman stepped out of the vehicle and was confronted by a man armed with a gun. Another of the culprits was armed with a baseball bat, police added.

The man who was inside the Escalade then left the vehicle to “intervene” in the robbery attempt and was shot, Peel police Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said at an early afternoon press conference from the scene.

The three culprits, described as South Asian males, were last spotted in the Jeep Wrangler speeding away from the scene westbound on Derry Road.

Police said they’re satisfied the shooting was not a random incident and that the victims, both unarmed, were targeted for robbery by the trio.

More specifically, police believe the woman was the target of the robbery attempt and at least one of the culprits may have had some “background knowledge” about her.

“She may have had some valuables (the culprits were after),” Bell-Morena told reporters, adding police cannot confirm if anything was taken.

He added there was “some sort of altercation” between the woman and one of the suspects and that’s when the shooting victim tried to intervene.

Police say the investigation continues. Among other things, they plan to review CCTV footage from area businesses.

Image shows general area of the shooting Thursday morning in Mississauga, near Toronto Pearson Airport (to the right in image). Shooting took place in the area of Derry Road and Cardiff Boulevard (centre of image).