Vaughan shooting: Police identify man who killed 5 condo residents

Chch.com
Dec. 20, 2022
Samantha Lawson

2 p.m. -- York Regional Police say three of the five people killed in a mass shooting at a condo in Vaughan were members of the condo board.

Investigators are not yet able to identify the victims, but say three men and two women died in the shooting.

Police have identified the suspected shooter as Francesco Villi and say he was shot dead by an officer at the building.

Court documents indicate a man by the same name had a long-standing dispute with his condo board.

Ontario’s police watchdog has said the suspected shooter was a 73-year-old resident of the building.

1:45 p.m. -- A source close to the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, has identified the suspected gunman as Francesco Villi.

Court documents indicate that a man by the same name had a long-standing dispute with his condo board, filing a lawsuit in 2010 against six directors and officers of the board.

Villi alleged the directors had deliberately caused him five years of “torment” and “torture” related to alleged issues with the electrical room below his unit, court documents said.

The case was tossed by Justice Joseph Di Luca just this summer.

Court documents show the board sought a restraining order in 2018 against Villi for his “allegedly threatening, abusive, intimidating and harassing behaviour” towards the board, property management, workers and residents.

12:30 p.m. -- Ontario’s police watchdog says the 73-year-old man suspected of killing five people used a semi-automatic handgun.

New information released says the victims were not only found in different units but on multiple different floors as well.

10:30 a.m. -- A source close to the investigation into the shooting in Vaughan says that the suspected gunman lived in the building. The victims were also found in different units.

York Regional Police say they are working to confirm the identities of the victims and ensure next of kin are notified.

A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the York Regional Police headquarters where more updates will be provided.

7:41 a.m. -- A mass shooting at a condo building in Vaughan has left six people dead, including the suspected gunman.

York Regional Police say they responded to a call for an active shooting around 7:20 p.m. on Sunday at a condo building at 9235 Jane St., near Rutherford Rd.

Officers located the male suspect and during an engagement with police, he was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

Ontario’s Special Investigation Unit has identified the suspect as a 73-year-old man.

Police say one other victim was shot and transferred to hospital.

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween says the investigation is active and will be ongoing.

“We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and their families,” said Chief MacSween.

The SIU has been called in to continue the investigation.