2022 Vaughan shooting explained

2022 Vaughan shooting
Map:
Coord:43.8332°N -79.5328°W
Length Mi:0.5
Location:Bellaria Residences, 9235 Jane Street, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Time:c. 7:20 p.m[1]
Timezone:EST
Type:Mass shooting
Weapon:Beretta 92A1 semi-automatic pistol
Fatalities:6 (including the perpetrator)
Injuries:1
Perp: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 used a Beretta 92A1 semi-automatic handgun which he legally purchased in 2019.[7]

Victims

All of the victims were residents of the building.[8] The dead comprised three men and two women. They were Rita Camilleri, 57, and her husband Vittorio Panza, 79; Russell Manock, 75, and his wife Lorraine, 71; and Naveed Dada, 59.[9]

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.[10] [11]

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. Some of the building's residents claim that Villi had been involved in a disagreement with the condominium's board of directors.[12]

Villi stated he was becoming sick by the electromagnets coming off the electrical generator he lived above and was suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. He had a medical note from his doctor.[13]

Court documents also show that Villi sued six directors and officers of the condominium board in 2020, alleging that the directors had deliberately caused him five years of "torment" and "torture", with reference to an electrical room beneath his apartment.[14] He sought a total of C$8,100,000 in damages. The judge struck the case in 2022, ruling that it was "frivolous and/or vexatious". He also gave Villi 30 days to pay $2,500 in court costs.[15] [14]

The condominium's board had obtained a restraining order against Villi in 2018.[16] He was due to return to court on December 19 as the board sought to have him evicted for being a nuisance.[14]

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".[17]

Aftermath

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit have investigated the shooting and determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing by any police officers involved.

As a result of this and other incidents, sweeping reforms in the condominium industry are being called for.[18]

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.

Over 150 people attended a candlelight vigil to the five victims, on the evening of December 21.[19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-12-19 . Toronto shooting: gunman kills five in residential unit . 2022-12-19 . the Guardian . en . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219084325/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/19/toronto-shooting-gunman-kills-five-residential-unit-vaughan-canada . live .
  2. News: Yousif . Nadine . 2022-12-19 . Vaughan condo shooting: Gunman who shot dead five in Canada was 73 . en-GB . . live . 2022-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219162845/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64024023 . December 19, 2022.
  3. Web site: Croft . Elizabeth Wolfe,Tavleen Tarrant,Jay . 2022-12-19 . 5 people killed in a 'horrendous' condo shooting in Canada, police say . 2022-12-19 . . en . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219043327/https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/18/world/condo-shooting-vaughan-canada/index.html . live .
  4. Web site: 2022-12-19 . Vaughan condo shooting: Three victims were members of the condo board, gunman identified as 73-year-old resident . 2022-12-19 . The Toronto Star . en . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219211012/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/12/19/vaughan-condo-shooting-6-dead-including-gunman-police-workign-to-identify-victims.html . live .
  5. Web site: MULTIPLE VICTIMS DECEASED IN SHOOTING IN VAUGHAN. York Regional Police. December 18, 2022. December 19, 2022. December 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221219055922/https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=8479495b-ee68-4a36-b9da-f9a4350c653b. live.
  6. Web site: Freeman . Joshua . 2022-12-19 . Vaughan mass shooting: Three victims were members of condo board . 2022-12-20 . CP24 . en . December 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221220002423/https://www.cp24.com/news/vaughan-mass-shooting-three-victims-were-members-of-condo-board-1.6200461 . live .
  7. Web site: Special Investigations Unit -- Director's Report Details, Case Number: 22-OFD-319 . 2023-04-18 . siu.on.ca . April 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417234416/https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=2360 . live .
  8. News: 18 Dec 2022 . Victims in Vaughan, Ont., mass shooting include 3 members of condo board, police say . CBC . December 18, 2022 . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219023149/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vaughan-condo-shooting-1.6690582 . live .
  9. Web site: 2022-12-21 . Remembering the lives lost in the Vaughan condo shooting rampage . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222060017/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/remembering-the-lives-lost-in-the-vaughan-condo-shooting-rampage-1.6204503 . December 22, 2022 . 2022-12-22 . CTV News Toronto . en.
  10. Web site: Freeman . Joshua . Lavoie . Joanna . 2022-12-19 . Three of 5 people killed in Vaughan, Ont. were members of condo board, police say . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219205033/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/three-of-5-people-killed-in-vaughan-ont-were-members-of-condo-board-police-say-1.6200473 . December 19, 2022 . 2022-12-22 . CTV News Toronto . en.
  11. Web site: 2022-12-22 . Editorial Seeking answers from tragedy . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110013236/https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2022/12/22/seeking-answers-in-two-tragic-murders.html . January 10, 2023 . 2023-01-10 . The Star . en.
  12. Web site: 2022-12-19 . Three of 5 people killed in Vaughan, Ont. were members of condo board, police say . 2022-12-19 . Toronto . en . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219205033/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/three-of-5-people-killed-in-vaughan-ont-were-members-of-condo-board-police-say-1.6200473 . live .
  13. News: Millward . David . 2022-12-20 . Pensioner killed neighbours in row over electromagnetic waves in flats . en-GB . The Telegraph . 2023-06-28 . 0307-1235 . January 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230103230129/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/12/19/pensioner-killed-neighbours-row-electromagnetic-waves-flats/ . live .
  14. News: Baig . Fakiha . December 19, 2022 . Condo board members among five victims in Vaughan shooting, police say . . live . March 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314185045/https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/ontario/condo-board-members-among-five-victims-in-vaughan-shooting-police-say/article_e4ec4271-f24c-580c-8f62-eeaef068e9bd.html . March 14, 2023.
  15. News: Vaughan gunman, 73, feuded with condo board over ‘electromagnetic waves.’ Victims include three board members. Passafiume. Alessia. Warren. May. Pagliaro. Jennifer. Javed. Noor. Powell. Betsy. December 19, 2022. Toronto Star. March 13, 2023. live. March 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230313205527/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/12/19/man-identified-as-vaughan-mass-killer-targeted-condo-board-in-frivolous-andor-vexatious-lawsuit.html.
  16. News: 19 Dec 2022 . Vaughan condo shooting: What we know about alleged gunman Francesco Villi . CBC . December 19, 2022 . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219211405/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/francesco-villi-vaughan-shooting-what-we-know-1.6691201 . live .
  17. Web site: Omstead . Jordan . Casey . Liam . December 21, 2022 . Estranged daughters of Vaughan condo gunman say he was 'abusive husband and father' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222191531/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vaughan-condo-gunman-daughters-1.6693541 . December 22, 2022 . 2022-12-22 . CBC News . en-CA.
  18. Web site: Escayola . Rod . 2020-12-08 . Auditor General’s Scathing Report on Condo Industry in Ontario . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230104233252/http://condoadviser.ca/2020/12/auditor-generals-scathing-report-on-condo-oversight-in-ontario/condo-law-blog-Ontario . January 4, 2023 . 2023-01-05 . Condo Adviser . en.
  19. News: 21 Dec 2022 . More than 150 attend candlelight vigil for victims of Vaughan, Ont., condo shooting rampage . CBC . December 22, 2022 . December 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221222065208/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-condo-shooting-1.6694370 . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2022 Vaughan shooting".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.