2022 Vaughan shooting
| 2022 Vaughan shooting | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Bellaria Residences, 9235 Jane Street, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°49′59″N 79°31′58″W / 43.8331606°N 79.5327636°W |
| Date | December 18, 2022 c. 7:20 p.m[1] (EST) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapon | Semi-automatic handgun |
| Deaths | 6 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrator | Francesco Villi |
On December 18, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at the Bellaria Residences condominium tower in Vaughan, a suburb north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Six people were killed, including the gunman, 73-year-old Francesco Villi, who was shot and killed by responding police officers.[2] Another person was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Shooting
Officers responded to a report of an active shooting at an apartment building in Vaughan at around 7:20 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered multiple victims.[3] The building, known as Bellaria Residences,[4] is located at 9235 Jane Street.[5] The victims were found on several floors in the building, after the gunman appeared to target three separate units. The gunman was located on a separate floor from the victims.[6]
The gunman, Francesco Villi, was identified as a resident of the building and was reported to have used a semi-automatic handgun.[2][7]
Victims
All of the victims were residents of the building.[6][7] The dead comprised three men and two women.[7] They were Rita Camilleri, 57, and her husband Vittorio Panza, 79; Russell Manock, 75, and his wife Lorraine, 71; and Naveed Dada, 59.[8] A 66-year-old woman was also seriously injured and hospitalized. Camilleri, Russell Manock, and Dada were members of the condominium's board of directors.[9]
Perpetrator
Police identified the gunman as 73-year-old Francesco Villi, who was killed by police in a hallway on the third floor of the building.[7] Some of the building's residents claim that Villi had been involved in a disagreement with the condominium's board of directors.[10]
Villi stated he was becoming sick by the electromagnets coming off the electrical generator he lived above. He had a medical note from his doctor.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
The condominium's board had obtained a restraining order against Villi in 2018.[11] He was due to return to court on December 19 as the board sought to have him evicted for being a nuisance.[12]
In response to the shooting incident, Villi's three estranged daughters issued a statement expressing their condolences, and also their shock and heartbreak at what had happened. They described their father as having "an aggressive, 'Jekyll and Hyde'-type personality".[13]
Aftermath
The York Regional Police homicide unit and Ontario's Special Investigations Unit are investigating the incident.[3]
Condolences were offered by Vaughan mayor Steven Del Duca and Ontario premier Doug Ford. Del Duca also ordered all flags to fly at half-mast at all city buildings. Prime minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement offering his condolences and his thanks for the response of first responders.[2][6]
Over 150 people attended a candlelight vigil to the five victims, on the evening of December 21.[14]
References
- ^ "Toronto shooting: gunman kills five in residential unit". the Guardian. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Vaughan condo shooting: Gunman who shot dead five in Canada was 73". BBC News. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Croft, Elizabeth Wolfe,Tavleen Tarrant,Jay (December 19, 2022). "5 people killed in a 'horrendous' condo shooting in Canada, police say". CNN. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Vaughan condo shooting: Three victims were members of the condo board, gunman identified as 73-year-old resident". The Toronto Star. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "MULTIPLE VICTIMS DECEASED IN SHOOTING IN VAUGHAN". York Regional Police. December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c Freeman, Joshua (December 19, 2022). "Vaughan mass shooting: Three victims were members of condo board". CP24. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Victims in Vaughan, Ont., mass shooting include 3 members of condo board, police say". CBC. December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "Remembering the lives lost in the Vaughan condo shooting rampage". Toronto. December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "Three of 5 people killed in Vaughan, Ont. were members of condo board, police say". Toronto. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "Three of 5 people killed in Vaughan, Ont. were members of condo board, police say". Toronto. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Vaughan condo shooting: What we know about alleged gunman Francesco Villi". CBC. December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Condo board members among five victims in Vaughan shooting, police say". Yahoo! News. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Estranged daughters of Vaughan condo gunman say he was 'abusive husband and father'". CBC News. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "More than 150 attend candlelight vigil for victims of Vaughan, Ont., condo shooting rampage". CBC. December 21, 2022.
External links
- "Villi v. Camilleri, 2022 ONSC 4561". CanLII. August 4, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.