A 73-year-old gunman shot and killed five victims in what officials have described as a “horrendous” attack at a condo unit in suburban Toronto, before law enforcement officers stormed the building and shot him dead.
Police said that the male suspect, who has not been identified but is thought to have been embroiled in a legal battle with several condo board members, opened fire inside the apartment complex on Jane Street in Vaughan on Sunday evening.
Five victims were killed in the attack while a sixth was taken to hospital in a serious condition but is expected to survive.
The gunman was shot dead by responding police officers.
Here’s what we know so far:
What happened
At around 7.20pm local time on Sunday, police were called to a report of an active shooting at the residential building in Vaughan – a city in the northern suburbs of Toronto.
Sources told the Toronto Sun that the gunman had gone from unit to unit in the building, attacking six members of the condo board.
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said in a press conference that responding officers arrived to find a “horrendous scene where numerous victims were deceased”.
Police said that an “interaction” unfolded between the officers and the gunman, with one officer opening fire and shooting the suspect.
“One of our officers did discharge their firearm,” confirmed the police chief.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five victims were found dead inside the building with officials saying they were found in different units. At least one woman appeared to have been shot in the face.
A sixth victim – a woman – survived the attack and was seen being loaded into an ambulance in the aftermath.
Residents of the condo complex were immediately evacuated from the building and a thorough search was carried out by the emergency response unit.
After declaring that there was no ongoing threat to the public, residents were allowed to return to their homes a few hours later.
The victims and the suspect
Little information has been released about the identity of the gunman and his victims.
Police are yet to confirm whether or not the suspect was a resident of the condo building and if he knew and intentionally targeted the victims.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said that the gunman was a 73-year-old man who was armed when officers arrived on the scene.
The gunman was reportedly in an ongoing legal dispute with the condo board.
Prior to going on the shooting rampage, the elderly man is believed to have complained on social media that he was being accosted by some of the board members.
The victims’ identities – including their ages and genders – are also yet to be released but they are all believed to be members of the condo board.
Chief MacSween sent his regards to the victims killed in the attack.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the victims and their families,” he said in the press briefing.
The investigation
York Regional Police have not confirmed any motive for the attack and said that the investigation is “active and ongoing”.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) – the police watchdog – has also been notified about the incident, as is standard practice when an officer discharges a firearm at a person.
In a press release on Monday, the SIU said that it had launched an investigation into the circumstances of the death of the shooter.
“The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 73-year-old man in Vaughan last night,” the statement read.
“Four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case. The post-mortem is scheduled for tomorrow. One subject official has been designated at this time.”
Any witnesses or anyone who may have video surveillance, cell phone video or dashcam footage of the shooting is urged to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the York Regional Police Homicide Unit at 1-288-876-5423 ext. 7865, or email the Homicide Unit at homicide@yrp.ca, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
Mass shootings in Canada
Mass shootings are rare in Canada, with Toronto long priding itself as being one of the safest big cities in the world.
The last major mass shooting in the city took place back in 2018 when a gunman walked down a busy street shooting randomly into restaurants.
During that attack, the assailant shot two people dead and wounded 13 others, before turning the gun on himself.
Compared to the US, Canada has both tight gun laws and lower rates of gun violence.
This year, Canadian officials sought to further strengthen these gun restrictions with a “national freeze” on handgun ownership. The bill is currently before a parliamentary committee.
