Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says a suspect treated in hospital for a gunshot wound shortly after a violent home invasion in an affluent city neighbourhood was not immediately arrested due to lack of evidence.
The chief told reporters during a Nov. 2 press conference that preliminary evidence did not indicate a suspect had been shot during the home invasion that sent 75-year-old Toronto real estate CEO David Morton and his family to hospital.
Three masked suspects armed with handguns and a hammer forced their way into the Morton home overnight on Oct. 29 and demanded valuables from the family. Morton, who is the chief executive officer of the MAC Group, and his two adult daughters sustained gunshot wounds. He and his wife were also assaulted with a hammer.
Police said on Oct. 30 that they believed one of the assailants was shot by mistake during the attack and sought treatment at a nearby hospital. But Demkiw said the officers who arrived at the hospital in the early morning hours of Oct. 29 after being alerted about the gunshot victim had no proof the incidents were linked.
“So let me be very clear on that,” the chief told reporters. “The investigators in the middle of the night did not have information that an assailant had been shot during that home invasion.”
Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer told The Epoch Times the suspect arrived at the hospital at 4:15 a.m., roughly half an hour after the home invasion, and he was “uncooperative” when police attempted to speak with him.
The suspect was then discharged less than five hours later, at approximately 9:05 a.m.
“While officers were alive to the possibility of a connection between the two incidents, a gunshot wound alone does not provide lawful grounds to arrest or detain someone,” she said via email. “Had officers had the legal grounds to detain or arrest this individual, they would have done so.”
Demkiw declined to tell reporters if police had the suspect under surveillance after his release, citing the importance of maintaining the “integrity of the investigation.”
Police have since identified the suspect as 23-year-old Daijohn Richards of Toronto. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Toronto Police Insp. Kristy Smith also addressed the matter during an Oct. 31 press conference, and said police are actively looking for the suspect, whom she also spoke to directly.
“We know who you are, and we’re actively looking for you,” she said. “Your world just got smaller. I strongly urge you to… contact a lawyer and turn yourself in.”
Demkiw said he has “complete confidence” in his investigators abilities to apprehend the subject.
“We will create an opportunity for them to continue to advance their investigation, respecting the integrity of the investigative process,” he said. “And listen, the public’s questions will be answered in a court of law. That’s where this evidence will be tested.”
Home Invasion
Police responded to a call of a shooting at the Morton home, located in the area of Post Road and Hyde Park Circle, at approximately 3:40 a.m. The home is located in Bridle Path, an upscale residential neighbourhood in Uptown Toronto.
After forcing their way into the home, three suspects went upstairs and demanded personal valuables, triggering an altercation with the four victims, police say. Afterward, the suspects fled the area in a dark-coloured SUV.
A 75-year-old male, 64-year-old female, 26-year-old female, and 28-year-old female were all taken to hospital with “life-altering” injuries, police said.
Morton released a statement about the home invasion on Oct. 30, describing the incident as a “terrifying and life-threatening experience.”
“It is difficult to put into words the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place where everyone should feel safest: their own home,” Morton wrote.
Morton is married to 64-year-old Doriana Zohil-Morton, who is the MAC Group’s president. They have two adult daughters: Maggie and Cristina Zohil-Morton.
Maggie also works at the company in sales, operations, and marketing while Cristina is an immigration lawyer and the founder of Zohil-Morton Law.
Anyone with information about Richards’ whereabouts is asked to contact police.
Investigators are also seeking information about the other two suspects who have been described as approximately 20 years old. One had a thin build and both were wearing dark clothing and face masks. Police said both suspects are “armed and dangerous.”
