GTA News: Peel, Home to 1.7 million People, Sees Shootings Double in the First Quarter of 2026.
July 28, 2026. Mississauga, Ontario. An official statement released to a popular Toronto news channel today by the Peel Regional Police (PRP) states that the number of shootings in the region nearly doubled in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
According to the report, there were 103 recorded shootings in Mississauga and Brampton between January and June 2026. PRP’s Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich candidly acknowledged, “Our shootings in Peel are up this year.” He pointed to the rise in extortion cases, organized crime, and the international drug trade as the primary contributors to this increase.
In comparison, there were only 58 shooting incidents in the two cities in the first six months of 2025.
Milinovich stated, “We have a team of officers exclusively assigned to remove firearms from the streets. It’s not uncommon for them, over the course of a weekend, to recover three or four illegal firearms that have entered Canada from the United States.”
Data provided to a Toronto media outlet by the PRP also revealed that while home invasions in Mississauga and Brampton decreased compared to 2024, they remain a persistent issue. In the first six months of 2024, there were 50 home invasions in Peel; this number dropped to 34 in 2025 but has risen again to 36 so far in 2026.
“This is Not the Canada We Signed Up For!” – Sam McDadi, Realtor.
Following a home invasion in July 2023 involving seven armed intruders and a second incident in 2025 where he was accosted and forced to hand over his car keys at a Santa Claus parade, McDadi has legitimate concerns about the rise in criminal incidents in Peel. “Is it worth the risks for our children? Maybe it’s time we consider moving somewhere safer, like Europe,” McDadi said.
Milinovich responded, “Home invasions are absolutely one of those crimes that create concern in the community—and rightfully so.” However, he noted, “Some of the fears being expressed by community members do not reflect the statistical realities,” referring to a Statistics Canada report released this month which showed that per capita, both non-violent and violent crime is down across the country, despite certain areas like Peel Region experiencing an uptick in crime.
Acknowledging the significant challenges police forces nationwide face concerning guns and gangs, Milinovich believes that social media contributes to the anxiety many in the public feel.
“The way we consume information about our community has changed. People are turning to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok; they watch videos of violent altercations, and suddenly, one incident becomes everyone’s reality,” Milinovich explained. While the incidents reported are real, he emphasized that the sensational and repetitive nature of social media can make events appear more frequent and severe than they are.
When asked how he would reassure the public, Milinovich emphasized that Peel police “are absolutely in this fight with our community. We understand the public’s concerns, and we are committed to making a difference.”
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