Toronto police are defending their decision to allow a suspect in a violent home invasion to leave a hospital with a gunshot wound, despite later identifying him as being involved in the crime. Police Chief Myron Demkiw stated on Monday that there had been "no failure" in the investigation following the attack.
The incident occurred Thursday when three armed suspects forced their way into a home near Hyde Park Circle and Post Road. The intruders, armed with handguns and a hammer, demanded valuables and then assaulted four adults inside: 75-year-old CEO David Morton, his 64-year-old wife Doriana Zohil-Morton, and their two daughters, aged 26 and 28.
Shortly after the home invasion, 23-year-old Daijohn Richards presented himself at St. Joseph’s Health Centre with a serious shoulder wound. Police believe he may have been accidentally shot by an accomplice during the attack. However, officers who interacted with Richards at the hospital did not have enough information at that time to arrest him, and he was released later that morning.
Richards is now wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for multiple charges, including discharging a firearm with intent to wound, robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault, break and enter, possessing a prohibited device, and disguise with intent. The other two suspects have not been identified.
Inspector Kristy Smith explained at a press conference Saturday that the police encountered Richards while he was at the hospital. "The nature of what’s unfolding continues to be very, very dynamic and very, very active," Demkiw added, acknowledging the public's concern over the "brazen, terrible nature" of the incident. He asserted that investigators are "the best in the business" and that "no resource spared and no stone left unturned" would be used in the pursuit of the offenders.
David Morton, the CEO of THE MAC Group, remains hospitalized along with his two daughters. Doriana Zohil-Morton, who was struck with a hammer but not shot, has since been released. In a statement released Friday, David Morton described the event as a "terrifying and life-threatening experience" that left all four family members injured. "It is difficult to put into words the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place where everyone should feel safest: their own home."