York Regional Police have recognized a 73-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed 5 individuals at a condominium tower in Vaughan, Ont., on Sunday as Francesco Villi.
Villi was shot deceased by a police officer on the third flooring of the condominium after the killings.
Chief Jim MacSween advised reporters on Monday police try to find out what motivated the assault at at 9235 Jane St., close to Rutherford Highway. Murder detectives have been conducting interviews and executing search warrants, however the investigation will take time, he stated.
This is what CBC Toronto can affirm about Villi at the moment:
Villi lived within the upscale Bellaria Residences condominium constructing the place the taking pictures occurred. In accordance with courtroom paperwork, he lived on the primary flooring of the constructing, in unit 104.
Police stated the taking pictures rampage started round 7:20 p.m. ET, and that Villi allegedly attacked individuals in three separate condominium items.
In accordance with Ontario’s Particular Investigations Unit (SIU), Villi used a semi-automatic handgun, allegedly killing three males and two ladies. One other woman, 66, at present in hospital, was shot and significantly wounded.
The SIU, which probes all police-involved fatalities in Ontario, stated he was shot and killed by an officer in one of many constructing’s hallways round 8 p.m. ET and pronounced deceased on the scene.
WATCH | Police determine suspected shooter in condominium killings:
Police determine alleged gunman in Vaughan condominium taking pictures
The 73-year-old man who police stated shot and killed 5 individuals at a condominium tower in Vaughan, Ont., on Sunday earlier than being shot deceased by a police officer has been recognized by York Regional Police as Francesco Villi. Police stated he was a resident of the constructing.
John DiNino, a condominium board member named within the courtroom paperwork obtained by The Canadian Press, advised CP that his spouse, Doreen, had been shot on the constructing on Sunday and was present process emergency surgical procedure in hospital on Monday.
“It is so overwhelming proper now,” he stated. “We’re simply hoping and praying.”
Police stated they weren’t but capable of launch the identities of the 5 individuals killed. Three are members of the condominium board and all lived within the condominium constructing, police stated.
Villi filed lawsuit in opposition to condominium board members
Courtroom paperwork point out that Villi had a long-standing dispute along with his condominium board.
Villi filed a lawsuit in opposition to six administrators and officers of the board in 2020, alleging the board members “dedicated acts of crime and criminality from 2010 onwards.” He additional alleged the administrators had prompted him 5 years of “torment” and “torture” associated to alleged points with {the electrical} room under his unit.
Justice Joseph Di Luca tossed the case this summer time, calling it “frivolous” and “vexatious.”
“Mr. Villi believes that {the electrical} room which sits beneath his unit is badly constructed, ensuing within the emission of electromagnetic waves which have prompted him important ache and struggling over time,” Di Luca wrote in his August choice.
“Mr. Villi believes that the board members of the company have actively engaged in efforts to deliberately hurt him, seemingly on the behest of the highly effective developer who constructed the condominium.”
WARNING | Photographs include scenes from Vaughan condominium taking pictures:
Board took authorized motion in opposition to suspect
In 2018, the condominium company took Villi to courtroom in search of an order to have him stop his “threatening, abusive, intimidating and harassing behaviour towards the board members, property administration, employees and residents,” authorized paperwork present.
The board additionally needed Villi to cease making video and audio recordings of board members and workers and cease posting these movies to his Fb and Twitter accounts.
Villi countersued and sought damages for $1 million.
In 2019, Justice Paul Perell ordered Villi to not make video or audio recordings of the board’s members, administration, residents or workers. The choose additionally ordered Villi to take away social media posts and never make new posts in regards to the courtroom matter, and to solely talk with the board by e mail or letter.
Villi did not adjust to the courtroom order and the condominium moved to have him held in contempt in September 2021. A choose discovered he breached the order by chatting with workers members in an “aggressive and typically threatening method.”
Villi was set to maneuver on to the penalty section of the contempt proceedings in April 2022, however the condominium withdrew the listening to after he complied for just a few months.
However that did not final.
Villi allegedly breached the order once more quickly after, courtroom paperwork present. The condominium alleged Villi approached and harassed safety guards. They stated the constructing misplaced safety guards due to his behaviour.
A variety of the residents filed a joint grievance to the condominium about him.
Francesco Villi, pictured right here in a picture from a video posted to his Fb account, had a long-standing dispute along with his condominium board, based on courtroom paperwork. (Francesco Villi/Fb)
In a number of movies shared on his social media accounts, Villi appeared to remark in regards to the ongoing dispute along with his condominium.
There have been about two dozen posts to a Fb web page for a person named Francesco Villi for the reason that begin of December, many that includes movies of the identical man speaking about his battle with the condominium board. In one other video, posted Friday, he stated he lives in “Hitler’s dungeon” and claimed “power from hydroelectricity” was killing him.
One other put up exhibits a picture of what seems to be a physician’s observe that reads Villi has a “continual obstructive lung illness.”
The web page had a video posted on-line hours earlier than the Sunday taking pictures. In it, a person identifies himself, lists the deal with of the constructing the place the taking pictures later occurred and says that he’s a resident of the condominium.
The video additionally exhibits the person calling a member of the condominium board a “monster” and alleging constructing house owners, condominium board members, attorneys and judges are conspiring in opposition to him.
“All people are working to destroy me,” he stated through the 16-minute video, glasses perched on his nostril. “I’ll by no means grow to be certainly one of you — liars, demons — by no means.”
There was a heavy police presence close to the condominium on Sunday evening. (CBC)
Villi stated he labored as a house builder for 40 years and immigrated to Canada from Italy along with his mom when he was 17.
John Santoro, a resident of the constructing who stated he knew the person, stated Villi was a retired constructing developer who had been in a “long-brewing” dispute with the condominium board.
“I feel he was somebody who was failed by the system,” stated Santoro outdoors the condominium on Monday. “For it to get to this degree, I do not perceive.”
Villi was slated to be in courtroom on Monday, nonetheless his case wasn’t heard because of his dying.
The board was in search of to have a choose discover him in contempt for violating a earlier order to not contact the board, to cease threatening its members and constructing workers and to stop posting about them on social media.
The condominium needed Villi gone — it sought a penalty from courtroom to drive him to promote and vacate his unit inside 90 days, a factum filed in courtroom by the condominium company final month stated.
Villi by no means made it to courtroom.
“Mr. Villi handed away yesterday. On consent of the defendants, this motion and the counterclaim are completely stayed,” a courtroom doc dated Monday says.
