A mother says her 17-year-old son was at home when he was killed in what authorities describe as a shootout between the teen and several police officers.

The province’s police watchdog was called in to investigate after the teen was shot and killed by York Regional Police officers in Aurora Wednesday evening.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said officers responded to reports of a break-in in progress shortly before 8 p.m. at a residence on Downey Circle in the area of ​​St. John’s Side Road and from Bayview Avenue.

Four police officers were reportedly confronted by an armed suspect when authorities arrived on scene, and they interacted with that person outside the home.

The SIU said several shots were fired and a 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the home.

“There was an exchange of gunfire between the man and responding officers, indicating he was armed,” SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon said at the scene Thursday . “An individual contacted police to report a break and enter in progress…We have a number of witnesses that we need to continue to interview. »

A YRP officer was transported to a local hospital with “very minor injuries.”

The family identified the 17-year-old as Mikail Rashid. His mother tells CityNews the boy lives at home with her ex-husband and was alone at the time of the incident.

“I think it was a break and enter, but how can he be a break and enter when he’s having dinner in his own home? This makes no sense to me,” Lala Rukh said.

“My ex-husband had guns there to protect himself. Someone could have broken in. Mikail probably went upstairs and got the gun, but he wasn’t the one who broke in because it was his own house.

Arukh adds that she is in touch with her ex-husband, but he is too distraught to speak at the moment.

Local residents describe shocking scene

“After those three shots, I didn’t hear anything for a while until I saw police outside, and I heard more shots coming from up the street,” said one neighbor.

A couple who live next to where the shooting occurred were not home at the time, but returned to find their vehicle and home riddled with bullets, a shotgun and of what they describe as a machete in their driveway.

“There are four bullet holes in my work truck; there’s one under the soffit of our porch,” the neighbor tells CityNews.

Five SIU investigators and three forensic investigators are investigating the shooting. The autopsy is scheduled for Friday in Toronto.

The UES is an independent civilian agency that investigates incidents in which people die or are seriously injured.