Artist John Caleb Ross, 21, was man shot by police in Aurora last month

Officers were responding to a call about a man armed with a gun in the area of Leslie St. and State Farm Parkway, and believed at the time that he may have shot people.

The Special Investigations Unit, a provincial agency that probes injuries and deaths that occur during interactions with police, is currently investigating.

The identities of those killed by police are often released by either the SIU or the affected family. In the shooting death of Sammy Yatim by Toronto police officer James Forcillo, for instance, the SIU released Yatim’s name within two days.

However, officials with the civilian agency have kept the name of the Aurora shooting victim secret at the request of his family.

The Star confirmed Ross’s identity independently, and is publishing his name for reasons of public interest in a police-involved death.

Across the country, there are varying policies on identifying those who die at the hands of officers, ranging from complete disclosure to total prohibition, even in cases where the family would like their relative’s death made public.

Ross was a member of IATSE 873, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union representing workers in the entertainment industry. He was employed as a labourer in the construction department.

His father, a carpenter, has been a member of the same union for decades, and the son’s death was a shock to everyone who knew them, according to one colleague who refused to be named.

A search of Ontario Court of Justice records reveals no criminal matters involving Ross, though a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General stated that the search is not as exhaustive as a police criminal records check.

Ross showed creative sensibilities from an early age, playing trumpet in the jazz band at Aurora High School.

In 2006, a John Caleb Ross had an abstract painting of a man, titled Kian, featured on the cover of a young adult art magazine produced by the Aurora Public Library, and three other paintings and a poem published inside.

‎Reccia Mandelcorn, a manager at Aurora Public Library who worked on the magazine, remembered the boy as a dedicated painter who produced “a lot of art.”

“Very quiet, artistic, lovely young man,” she said.

A John Caleb Ross, then 11, also penned a heartfelt letter that appeared in the Toronto Star, describing his “dream assignment.”

“I would like to go to New York City to the 911 site because I want to see what our Toronto firefighters were helping the New York firemen with during 911,” the Grade 6 student wrote.

“I thought the attack on the Twin Towers was very sad and scary. I remember talking about it at school and realizing how many people were affected. I feel that I would be able to come back home and tell everyone what 911 was really like and how lucky we are to be safe in Canada.”

SIU spokesperson Jasbir Brar told the Star the police watchdog amended its policy on identifying victims of fatal police shootings in 2012 to require family consent, in part due to concerns raised by families. That policy remains in place even after the investigation is complete, meaning the names and faces of some victims may never be known. In those cases, the SIU will release a final report on the investigation without disclosing the victim’s name.

Meanwhile, police services, including York Region in the case of Ross, can’t release a victim’s name because of the ongoing SIU investigation. The identity could still be released later, in the event of a coroner’s inquest examining the death.

With files from Amy Dempsey