In February, an unnamed security guard shot and killed two men during a late-night scuffle in an east-end McDonald’s for reasons that were not fully understood or explained.

Four months later, police have concluded their investigation, announcing no charges will be laid, but the crucial details surrounding the case remain shrouded in secrecy.

The guard is still unidentified. Police will not say why his actions were justified. And the video evidence of the incident will not be released.

“I’m pretty shocked and kind of upset, and wish we knew more,” said Rebecca Dixon, 26, a family friend of victim Donny Ouimette. “I think they owe it to the families. It’s important that they at least have some kind of closure . . . There should be some kind of explanation out there.”

Police announced in a press release on Wednesday that “no criminal charges will be laid” because there is “no reasonable prospect of conviction” in the shooting deaths of Ouimette, 25, and Ryan Hind, 39.

The guard has recovered from his injuries and is back at work, a spokesman for GardaWorld has confirmed.

Police said only that the decision not to press charges was made following a “comprehensive investigation,” during which the homicide squad consulted senior Crown attorneys and “provided an overview of the circumstances surrounding the deaths.”

Criminal lawyers Daniel Brown and Reid Rusonik both told the Star this suggests that the evidence, which included surveillance footage, showed the shootings were clearly motivated by self-defence, the only rationale that would result in no charges in this kind of case.

But police spokesman Mark Pugash would not comment on this theory or release the name of the guard due to privacy concerns.

“We haven’t charged anyone, so we wouldn’t discuss the specifics,” Pugash said.

He called the video evidence of the incident central to the investigation, but said it will not be made public because there is “no valid investigative purpose.”

However, critics are calling for more transparency.

“We need to understand the details of the case to understand why someone can shoot someone and not be charged,” said Lisa Taylor, a lawyer and journalism professor at Ryerson University. “What is the privacy interest in not explaining this? It could go a long way to help restore or maintain our faith in police. Without understanding that, it’s hard to feel like justice is being served.”

Taylor said the guard should be identified, because the public interest in this case trumps privacy concerns.

“Whether or not a person ought to be named, certainly the circumstances surrounding such a significant decision ought to be disclosed,” Brown said. “It’s important for accountability that things not happen behind closed doors in these types of cases.”

In an email statement on Wednesday, lawyer Craig Penney, who represents the guard, said his client “is grateful for the continuing support of his friends, family, co-workers, and company, and is appreciative of the professionalism of the Toronto Police Service.”

“We thank everyone for their support, patience, and understanding,” Penney said.

The brief account of the shooting provided by police on Wednesday closely mirrored what officers said in February.

“The two men had become involved in a physical confrontation with an armed uniformed private security officer who was working at a nearby location,” the release states. “During the altercation, the private security officer discharged his firearm, fatally wounding both men. The private security officer was subsequently taken to hospital where he was treated for a firearm-related injury.”

Police have previously said that the guard stopped in for food at the McDonald’s, which is near Coxwell subway station.

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TTC spokesman Brad Ross confirmed that the TTC does use armoured car services, but would not say whether the guard was collecting money for the company at the time.

“I’m not permitted to discuss the incident in any way,” he said.

With files from Jackie Hong, Nick Westoll and Katrina Clarke