Four members of a family were taken to hospital following a violent home invasion in Toronto’s Bridle Path neighbourhood early on Oct. 29, with police saying two suffered “life-altering injuries.”
Toronto Police said officers responded to reports of a shooting at a residence on Hyde Park Circle, near Bayview and Lawrence avenues, at about 3:43 a.m.
Toronto Police Insp. Kristy Smith said at an Oct. 29 news conference that three masked suspects armed with handguns and a hammer entered the home through a rear entrance and confronted a father, mother, and their two adult daughters. The suspects demanded valuables, and a struggle followed, during which the suspects fired “multiple” shots.
Three family members—the father and his two daughters—were shot, while a fourth family member, believed to be the mother, was struck with a hammer.
Two victims were hospitalized with “life-altering injuries,” while the other two sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The family did not return fire.
“We recognize how frightening and disturbing an incident like this is… People should be able to feel safe in their homes,” Smith said, noting that the police service was working to identify, locate, and arrest the suspects.
The suspects fled in an SUV. Police have not released descriptions of the individuals, and investigators have not confirmed whether anything was stolen.
Police Investigating Motive
Insp. Smith said investigators had no information indicating that the residence had been specifically targeted.
Smith said criminals may be drawn to affluent neighbourhoods because of the high-end vehicles and valuables there, but the suspects’ motive remains under investigation.
She also noted a recent pattern of home invasions involving suspects seeking vehicle keys. In some cases, she said, homeowners may not realize their keys have been stolen until later. The situation becomes a home invasion when residents confront the intruders.
“Across the city in affluent areas, vehicles are going missing, and that’s a serious concern, which is also something that the province is paying a lot of attention to,” Smith said.
Smith urged residents to remain alert and call 911 if they feel unsafe or believe they are being followed. She also cautioned people against living in fear because they own valuable possessions.
Conservative MP Arpan Khanna, the party’s shadow critic for justice, highlighted the home invasion on social media and said Canadians “deserve to feel safe in their own homes.” He urged the federal Liberal government to strengthen measures to protect Canadians and ensure the laws protect “innocent families.”
The federal government’s Bail and Sentencing Reform Act received royal assent on June 15, which made more than 80 amendments to the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and the National Defence Act, and aimed to tighten bail laws and toughen sentencing for repeat and violent offenders.
