| 2022 Vaughan shooting | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Bellaria Residences, 9235 Jane Street,Vaughan, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°49′59″N79°31′58″W / 43.8331606°N 79.5327636°W /43.8331606; -79.5327636 |
| Date | December 18, 2022 (2022-12-18) c. 7:20 p.m[1] (EST) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapon | Beretta 92A1 semi-automatic pistol |
| Deaths | 6 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrator | Francesco Villi |
On December 18, 2022, amass shooting occurred at the Bellaria Residencescondominium tower inVaughan, a suburb north ofToronto,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.
Officers responded to a report of anactive 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 9235Jane 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 aBeretta 92A1semi-automatic handgun which he legally purchased in 2019.[7]
All of the victims were residents of the building.[6][8] The dead comprised three men and two women.[8] 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]
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.[8] 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 fromelectromagnetic 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.[failed verification] The judge struck the case in 2022, ruling that it was "frivolous and/orvexatious". 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 threeestranged 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]
Ontario'sSpecial Investigations Unit have investigated the shooting and determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing by any police officers involved.[7]
As a result of this and other incidents, sweeping reforms in the condominium industry are being called for.[18]
Condolences were offered by Vaughan mayorSteven Del Duca andOntario premierDoug Ford. Del Duca also ordered all flags to fly at half-mast at all city buildings.Prime ministerJustin 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.[19]
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