A masked gunman accidentally shot dead during a chaotic break-in at a Canadian CEO’s home was questioned by authorities while in hospital – before being allowed to walk free.
Daijohn Richards, 23, from Toronto, faces armed robbery charges and has a Canada-wide warrant out for his arrest for Thursday’s break-in at the $2.1 million property owned by MAC Group CEO David Morton.
Morton, 75, his wife, Doriana Zohil-Morton, and their adult daughters were attacked — allegedly by Richards and two other men — but amid the chaos that unfolded in the Bridle Path neighborhood, Richards was shot and killed by one of the culprits, investigators said.
He went to a city hospital after suffering a shoulder injury – where officers had a “number of interactions” with him, in accordance with a long-standing policy regarding gunshot victims.
Richards was released rather than arrested – because cops didn’t have enough evidence at the time to pin the crime on him. That was before police named him a suspect on Saturday.
“What (investigators) need to make sure is that we get a conviction and we don’t just go off based on suspicion,” Detective Kristy Smith told reporters at a news conference, explaining why Richards was not arrested at the hospital.
“When we make an arrest, it’s based on reasonable and probable grounds – which is what the law requires us to make an arrest.”
Richards was only officially named as a suspect on Saturday – and he is wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant for charges including robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault, and is also accused of discharging a firearm with intent to injure.
The police revelation that Richards was not arrested at the scene sparked widespread fury online – with police forced to give a further explanation.
“We want to clear up some confusion surrounding the investigation into the home invasion in the Bridle Path neighborhood,” Toronto police said.
“Investigators immediately recognized the potential connection between the home invasion and the individual who showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound. But recognizing a potential suspect and having enough evidence to arrest him are two different things.
“The police need reasonable grounds, supported by evidence, to make an arrest. »
Comments have been disabled – apparently a firewall to protect law enforcement from bombardments of criticism.
Cops have released no further information about the other two men – describing them only as “armed and dangerous.”
Morton, meanwhile, has since spoken out about his family’s trauma following the break-in – which saw the suspects demand valuable items before shots were fired.
Morton and his adult daughters, Maggie and Cristina, were shot, while Doriana was attacked with a hammer, police said, according to the Toronto Sun. But the CEO said all four members of his family were attacked with hammers.
“It’s difficult to put into words the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place everyone should feel safest: their own home,” he said in a statement seen by The Post.
“No family should have to go through this. People should be able to sleep peacefully in their homes without fear of armed individuals breaking in and threatening their lives.”
He urged anyone with information about the suspects to come forward – while revealing his family’s priority was to “get through this together”.
Gn world
