Manhunt under way after Toronto CEO and family violently attacked in home invasion
The real estate mogul and his two daughters were shot, while his wife was assaulted with a hammer, in an attack that has shocked the city.
**Manhunt under way after Toronto CEO and family violently attacked in home invasion**
The Bridle Path neighbourhood of Toronto is home to sprawling gated properties, many belonging to celebrities or international business owners.
Police are looking for suspects after a Canadian real estate executive and his two daughters were shot, while his wife was struck with a hammer, during an early-morning home invasion in an affluent Toronto neighbourhood.
Derek Morton, chief executive of the Mac Group, confirmed the attack in a statement, saying: "No family should ever have to experience this."
Morton said his family was struggling with "the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place where everyone should feel safest: their own home".
Toronto Police said the suspects demanded valuables before attacking the family and escaping in a car. Authorities have not disclosed the suspects’ identities.
The home invasion happened in Bridle Path, one of Canada’s richest neighbourhoods, where residents have included music stars Drake and Celine Dion.
The area is known for its vast mansions hidden behind high walls and iron gates, with hired security often seen patrolling the streets.
Police said the incident occurred at about 03:44 EST (07:00 GMT) on Thursday morning, when the suspects entered the property through a rear door.
The suspects then confronted the family and fired their guns several times, injuring the father and his two daughters, and hitting the wife on the head with a hammer.
"Three masked individuals forcibly entered our residence, armed with handguns and a hammer," Morton confirmed in a statement on Friday.
"During the attack, three members of our family were shot and are currently recovering in hospital. All four members of our family were also attacked with a hammer, leaving everyone injured and requiring emergency medical attention."
Morton did not identify the family members, but media reports say his two adult daughters Cristina and Maggie were shot, and his wife Doriana Zohil-Morton was hit in the head with a hammer.
Police said two of the victims are still in hospital.
The victims were not named by police, but their ages were listed as 75, 64, 28 and 26. Police said the three suspects are believed to be men in their 20s.
Police believe the family was targeted only because they lived in a wealthy area.
“Typically, in an affluent neighbourhood comes nice things – and there’s always people out there that want to acquire nice things,” Inspector Kristy Smith of the Toronto Police Service told reporters.
Smith added that police do not yet know whether anything was taken from the home and are working to recover bullet casings that could help identify the suspects.
Police data show that home invasions are increasing in Toronto, and some residents say they are taking steps to improve home security.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who was recently elected to a second term, said she was "deeply troubled" by the home invasion.
"This attack has understandably shaken the neighbourhood and many residents across Toronto," Chow wrote on X. "This violence is not acceptable in our city. People must be safe in their own homes."
Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre called it a "horrific" incident in a separate post on X.
"These criminals must be apprehended and held accountable for their actions before the justice system," he said.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said residents of Bridle Path should expect to see more police patrols in the coming days.
"We also continue to make strategic decisions and dedicate additional resources to address this concerning trend of home invasions and to keep our communities safe," he said.