December 19, 2022: Police had named the gunman who killed five people at a condo building in Vaughan on Sunday before he was shot dead by an officer.
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said during an afternoon press conference Monday that 73-year-old Francesco Villi died after an interaction with an officer on the third floor of the building.
The officer who shot Villi is a 24-year veteran of York police. “He very likely saved lives by his actions last night,” MacSween said.
Among the victims who died were three men and two women, all of whom lived in the building. They were killed in three separate units on different floors, MacSween said. A sixth victim, a 66-year-old woman, was seriously injured in the shooting and remained in the hospital. At a press conference on Monday, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, which probes police-involved deaths, said responding officers shot the alleged gunman in a hallway. The spokesperson, Kristy Denette, added that the gunman used a semi-automatic handgun in the shooting.
Authorities are investigating the motive, including a possible connection between the gunman and the victims and his relationship with the building’s management board.
Social media accounts under the alleged gunman’s name feature several recently posted videos in which he expressed grievances with the building’s management due to an electrical unit underneath his apartment. The Toronto Star reported the shooter was a long-time resident who had for years targeted the condo board with lawsuits as part of a running dispute with board members.
Police chief MacSween said there was no ongoing threat to the public, and York police said those evacuated from the building could return to their homes.
