Notorious Criminal with Violent Past Shoots Nigerian Dead Inside Bus in Canada, Police Take Action
- Toronto Police charged a 40-year-old man with first-degree murder after a Nigerian national was shot dead inside a GO bus at the Yorkdale terminal
- Investigators said the suspect boarded the bus with the victim, fired a single shot, and fled before being arrested near the Yorkdale subway station
- Court records showed the accused had a lengthy criminal history, including previous convictions for attempted murder and firearm offences
A Nigerian national was shot dead inside a GO bus at the Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal in Toronto on Sunday night, a killing that police confirmed as the city’s first homicide of 2026. Authorities have charged a 40-year-old Toronto man with first-degree murder following the incident.
Toronto Police said officers responded to reports of a shooting at the terminal near Yorkdale Road and Allen Road at about 7 p.m. on January 4.
Source: Getty Images
Investigators believe the suspect and the victim boarded the same GO bus, where the suspect opened fire before fleeing the scene on foot.
Shooting unfolds inside crowded bus
Officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Life-saving efforts were attempted at the scene, but the victim was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Police later identified him as Osemwengie Irorere, a 46-year-old Nigerian citizen.
An eyewitness, who was seated behind the victim, told local media the bus was dark and crowded as passengers waited to depart. The witness described hearing a single gunshot and initially mistaking the sound for something else.
“I assumed it was a popped tyre or something, but immediately after, a guy sitting in front of me got up, shoved his hands in his pocket and ran off the bus,” the witness said.
“Right after, I stood up and I looked at the seat in front of me and I saw a guy, bleeding,” he added.
He also recalled smelling smoke in the air moments after the shot was fired.
Source: Getty Images
Suspect arrested near subway station
Police said the suspect was located and arrested a short time later near the Yorkdale subway station. A firearm was recovered during the arrest.
The accused was identified as Tyrel Gibson, 40, of Toronto. He appeared at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Monday, January 5, to face a charge of first-degree murder.
Court records show Gibson has an extensive criminal history dating back more than two decades, with nearly 24 charges on record. His past convictions include attempted murder and multiple firearm-related offences.
History of prior firearm convictions
In 2015, Gibson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, using a firearm, possession of a firearm with ammunition, and possession of an unauthorised firearm. He received a lifetime weapons prohibition as part of his sentence.
He was later sentenced to eight years in prison in 2017. Police have not disclosed how much of that sentence he served before his release.
Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting as the case proceeds through the courts.
Nigerian student dies abroad after battling cancer
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian postgraduate student, identified as Hammed, has died in the United Kingdom after a sudden decline caused by advanced cancer.
His passing became public after organisers of a GoFundMe appeal updated the campaign from a plea for medical assistance to a request for support to cover his burial in the UK.
Source: Legit.ng
