Resident at Vaughan Condo Says Suspect in Deadly Shooting Had Dispute With Board Members

York Regional Police vehicles were seen parked at a condominium at 9235 Jane Street, in Vaughan on Dec. 19. A deadly shooting occurred at the condo on Dec. 18, leaving five people dead, including the suspect. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

VAUGHAN, Ont.--A resident at the condominium in Vaughan where a fatal shooting on Dec. 18 left six dead including the suspect, said the alleged shooter had disputes with members of the condo board. Among the dead are three members of the condo board.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, the York Regional Police (YRP) arrived at the scene of an active shooting at the condo located at 9235 Jane Street, near Rutherford Road, where the police said they found five victims deceased. A sixth victim was later sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspected gunman was identified by police at a press conference today as Francesco Villi.

The 73-year-old male was shot dead by police at the scene, according to a Dec. 19 news release from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police in cases where a death is involved.

Matteo Sivitili, who has lived at the condo since 2010, said he had talked to the suspect during several encounters in the building, and that Villi had complained about his disputes with the condo board over “fumes” coming from the condominium’s basement into his unit, which the Villi said was causing him health problems.

“He was complaining because ... he was feeling like a fume or something was coming in the condominium because he used to live on the top of the electric room,” Sivitili told The Epoch Times on Dec. 19.

“He was complaining about that. And he was asking for help. But the board ... they help him to check what could be wrong. They check it and they say everything is okay, no problem. But he was not satisfied. He was still feeling sick because something was coming in.”

Matteo Sivitil, a resident at a condo located at 9235 Jane Street in Vaughan, spoke to reporters on Dec. 19. A deadly shooting at the condo a day earlier has left six people dead, including the suspect. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

Sivitili said he never suspected Villi would commit the crimes.

“He didn’t look like a bad person,” he said.

YRP said in a press conference on Dec. 19 that three of the five people killed in the shooting were members of the condo board. YRP said they are not yet able to release the identities of the victims, but said three men and two women have been killed.

An individual by the name of Francesco Villi had a long-standing dispute with his condo board, filing a lawsuit against six directors and officers of the board in 2020, and accusing them of deliberately causing him five years of “torment” and “torture” in relation to the alleged issues with the electrical room below his unit, according to court documents obtained by The Canadian Press.

Justice Joseph Di Luca had thrown out the case this summer, calling it “frivolous” and “vexatious.” Court documents also said that the board had sought a restraining order in 2018 against Villi for his “allegedly threatening, abusive, intimidating and harassing behaviour'' towards the board, property management, workers, and other residents.

A man whose Facebook account name is identical to the suspect’s had posted a video on Dec. 16, complaining about the “allergy from hydro-electricity” at his residence in Maple, Ontario–the same neighbourhood as the condo shooting.

“Allergy from hydro-electricity that is killing me,” he said, touching his chin, where he said his flesh was burning.

Residents React

Frank Ferrant, who just moved into the condo roughly two weeks ago, told reporters that the incident was “scary.”

“My daughter and I saw [the police] pulled out a woman and they were given her chest compressions,” he said, adding that he still feels “very safe” at his residency.

Frank Ferrant (R) poses outside of a condo located at 9235 Jane Street in Vaughan, on Dec. 19, after a deadly shooting occurred at the building a day earlier, leaving six people dead, including the suspect. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

Sebastian Savesco, another resident at the condo said he was “just in awe” when he saw dozens of police vehicles and ambulances at the condo when he arrived home at around 11 p.m. on Dec. 18.

“I thought maybe there was a problem going on, but seeing at least 20 to 30 cops lined up, multiple ambulances, coming home after a long day, is just mind-blowing,” he told The Epoch Times. “Being told that we’re in lockdown, being searched as we were going inside the building—it is scary.”

Flowers are placed at a condo located at 9235 Jane Street in Vaughan, on Dec. 19, after a deadly shooting occurred at the building a day earlier, leaving six people dead, including the suspect. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

YRP Chief Jim MacSween expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

“We know that the City of Vaughan was left shaken after the tragedy that occurred yesterday evening,” he wrote in a Twitter post on Dec. 19.

“Our deepest condolences are with the families and friends of the victims. YRP family liaison officers and the [Victim Services of York Region] are supporting those impacted.”

Four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case. One subject official has been designated so far, according to the SIU.

An autopsy is scheduled for Dec. 20.