An 11-year-old girl has died following a house fire in Richmond Hill on Monday, and authorities are treating her death as a homicide, according to police.
York Regional Police responded to the house fire near Skywood Drive and Rollinghill Road shortly after 3 a. m., Insp. Paolo Fiore shared during a news conference on Wednesday.
Four victims were discovered inside the home, while one was found outside. All five individuals were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The young girl succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, as reported by York police.
“The incident is now being investigated as a homicide,” Fiore stated, adding that investigators believe the fire was “believed to be an arson.”
The other four victims are still hospitalized and remain in critical condition.
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An 11-year-old child has died following the Sept. 1 house fire, according to York Regional Police. (Grant Linton/CBC)
A suspect description hasn’t been released yet, and no arrests have been made, said Fiore.
He mentioned that police are interviewing witnesses and reviewing “a lot of video” footage during the initial phase of their investigation.
David West, Richmond Hill’s mayor, expressed his sadness over this event, calling it a “tragic day” for the community.
“It really is a difficult time for the family especially, but it’s also a very difficult time for the community. I know the neighbors all around there. It’s very shocking to have that kind of thing happen,” West said.
“Our hearts go out and our thoughts and prayers for sure to all of the people directly and indirectly related to this tragedy.”
West encouraged community members to remain patient as law enforcement continues their investigation into what happened.
“Speculation in a situation like this is not helpful. And it fuels fear. We do live in a very safe community,” West added.
If anyone has information about this incident, they are urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
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