Condo dispute triggered deadly Toronto shooting
Francesco Villi, 73, was not in good terms with members of the condo board
Daily TribuneFrancesco Villi, 73, was not in good terms with members of the condo board
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A reported long-standing feud with the condo board prompted a 73-year-old man to shoot dead five neighbors at a residential building in the suburbs of Toronto, police said Monday.
The suspect, identified by authorities as Francesco Villi, lived at the condominium building in Vaughan, Ontario, and appeared to have targeted members of its board.
Of the five deceased victims from the Sunday evening attack, three were adult males and two were women.
"All of the victims resided in the condo building," police chief Jim MacSween told a news conference.
"Three were members of the condominium board," he said, adding that the motive behind the killings was still being investigated.
A sixth victim — a 66-year-old woman — was seriously injured and remains in hospital, but her life is not in danger, MacSween said, describing the crime scene as "heartbreaking."
The daily Toronto Star, citing sources close to the investigation, said Villi had clashed with the condo board, which in turn accused him of "threatening, abusive, intimidating and harassing behavior."
In a recent lawsuit dismissed as frivolous, he reportedly made several wild and unsubstantiated allegations including that an electrical room beneath his unit was emitting "electromagnetic waves which have caused him significant pain and suffering over the years."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter message that friends and families of the victims are in his thoughts and wished the injured woman a swift recovery.
Police were called to the site about 30 kilometers north of Toronto on Sunday evening.
MacSween said "officers arrived to find a horrific scene with five deceased victims having been shot and killed in three separate units."
One of several officers responding to the emergency call opened fire on the shooter in a third floor hallway of the building, killing him, he said.
