Vaughan Man Shot in Home Invasion; Police Seek Suspects

York Region police are looking into the shooting death of a 46-year-old man at his home in Vaughan that took place early Sunday morning.

Authorities say they received a call around 1 a. m. about a possible home invasion on Andreeta Drive, located near Major Mac Kenzie Drive and Highway 27. Upon arrival, officers found a man with significant injuries. He was declared dead at the scene.

The victim has been identified as Abdul Aleem Farooqi.

According to police, this was a targeted incident, and they are currently searching for at least three suspects who were seen wearing dark clothes and masks.

‘Something terrible happened’

Ehsan Malik, a neighbor and long-time family friend of Farooqi, shared his worries when he noticed police cars with sirens racing through the area that morning.

“I felt like something terrible happened,” he explained. “Then about 1:30 a. m., I got a call.”

Malik hurried over to the family’s residence where he learned what had transpired regarding Farooqi’s death.

He recounted that three men broke into the house through the back door. At that time, Farooqi, his wife, and their three children were present in the home.

One of the intruders reportedly had a gun and held one of the children at gunpoint, according to Malik. He believes an altercation broke out resulting in Farooqi being shot and killed in front of his family.

“As far as I know, he shot him twice: once in the stomach and once in the chest,” Malik added. “It’s terrible for the kids. They’re crying. They’re terrified.”

Other neighbors expressed their shock upon hearing about Farooqi’s death.

“It’s a shock; how are we going to be prepared for a thing like this?” said one neighbor who spoke to City News. “Nine years here; it was so quiet, really nice neighbors.”

“This is definitely scary; it’s exactly the same family as I have,” another neighbor commented.

Ford says suspects are ‘scumbags,’ calls for bail reform

The situation was addressed by Ontario Premier Doug Ford during a press conference on Tuesday.

“This innocent man got his doors kicked in in the middle of the night,” Ford stated. “And these scumbags shot him right in front of his kids.”

The premier went on to say he spoke with federal government representatives over the weekend regarding this issue.

“We need to do something,” Ford continued while criticizing what he described as “weak” criminal code provisions.

“This doesn’t happen just once in a blue moon. This is happening multiple times a day, every single night across Toronto and the GTA,” he said.

The mayor of Vaughan, Steven Del Duca also extended condolences to those affected by this violent act.

“Vaughan is a safe community and I will do everything in my power to ensure it stays that way – but we can’t do it alone,” he stated.

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