The life of the Toronto shooter Faisal Hussain

Investigators are digging into the life of Faisal Hussain, amid reports that he was on Islamic state websites expressing support for the terrorist group. Toronto Police say that there is an online component to this investigation.

While Faisal Hussain’s family said their son “Had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life.”

Crime specialist and former Toronto cop Ross McLean says what unfolded.

“He managed to engage the first police car that he happened upon, fired upon the police car before the police could get out. This is someone who had an idea of what they were doing and were determined to do it.”

Toronto Police executed a search warrant at Hussain’s seventh floor apartment unit where he lived with his family. It’s in the Thorncliffe neighborhood just three kilometers from Danforth.

Several media outlets with inside sources to the investigation say Hussain visited ISIS websites and expressed support and may have previously lived in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Toronto Police say they have no information that he has traveled abroad recently. Canada’s Public Safety Minister says based on the Danforth shooting investigation so far there’s no connection between Hussain and national security.

One neighbour said the Hussain family has been through tragedy in recent years. Hussain’s sister was killed in a car crash and his brother has been in the hospital.

When it comes to motive there’s no update from police.

An autopsy was conducted but the police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, in charge of determining how the man was killed said they are not releasing the results. It’s unclear if Hussain was killed by an officer or if he died due to self inflicted gun shot wounds.