Toronto police are defending their decision not to arrest a man who arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound just hours after a wealthy executive and his family were terrorized inside their mansion. Investigators identified him as a suspect only after he had left the hospital.
The department faced intense online criticism after confirming that officers spoke with 23-year-old Daijohn Richards several times at St. Joseph’s Health Centre before he was discharged Friday afternoon.
Richards later appeared at a Toronto hospital with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Police questioned him there but did not take him into custody.
By Friday evening, investigators said they had collected enough evidence to connect Richards to the violent home invasion at the $2.1 million Toronto residence of real estate executive David Morton, 75. By then, however, Richards was gone.
‘You Couldn’t Script This’
Richards is now the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant, prompting widespread questions about why police allowed a possible suspect in such a serious attack to leave the hospital.
‘You couldn’t script this,’ one angry social media user wrote, describing how three masked gunmen allegedly entered the home, shot three family members and struck others with a hammer.
‘Police say they “don’t just go off of suspicion.” Fair enough. But the system had him in a hospital bed, and now he’s GONE.’
Another commenter directly challenged Toronto police over their handling of the investigation.
‘Do you expect people not to be outraged at your response and what you are now admitting to having done?’ the person wrote.
‘Releasing a man who showed up to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder under the circumstances, with his criminal record, left to disappear at great risk to the community?’
Police Respond to Backlash
Toronto police addressed the growing backlash on X on Saturday and held a news conference to explain the decisions made during the investigation.
‘We want to address some confusion surrounding the investigation into the home invasion in the Bridle Path neighborhood,’ the department said.
‘Investigators immediately recognized the potential connection between the home invasion and the individual who showed up at hospital with a gunshot wound.’
Police stressed, however, that suspecting Richards may have been involved did not, by itself, provide sufficient grounds for an arrest.
‘But recognizing a potential suspect and having enough evidence to arrest them are two different things. Suspicion alone isn’t enough. Police need reasonable grounds, supported by evidence, to make an arrest.’
The department defended the detectives involved, praising their ‘professionalism, tenacity and commitment’ and saying the investigation remained ongoing.
‘Suspicion Isn’t Enough’
‘Let’s keep the focus where it belongs: finding the outstanding suspects and holding those responsible for this violent home invasion accountable,’ the statement said.
The police explanation followed questions from reporters about why Richards was permitted to leave the hospital. Inspector Kristy Smith addressed the issue during Saturday’s news conference.
‘We arrived at the hospital, we made an investigation, and I know the question is going to come about, “Why did we not arrest him at the time?”‘ she said.
Ontario law requires hospitals to notify police when they treat patients for gunshot wounds.
Officers went to the hospital and had what Smith called ‘numerous interactions’ with Richards. At that stage, investigators said they had not established the reasonable grounds required to arrest him.
Forensic Evidence Connected Richards to Bridle Path
Detectives later connected Richards to the crime through forensic evidence and inquiries in the neighborhood, with support from the Centre of Forensic Sciences.
By the time that evidence emerged, Richards had already left the hospital.
A Canada-wide warrant has since been issued for his arrest in connection with Thursday’s horrifying attack on Morton, the CEO of Toronto-based real estate company MAC Group, and his family.
Police say three masked men armed with guns and a hammer entered the family’s luxury home through a rear entrance at about 3:40 a.m. in the exclusive Bridle Path neighborhood.
Morton, his 64-year-old wife, Doriana Zohil-Morton, and their daughters Maggie and Cristina, aged 28 and 26, were asleep when the intruders entered their bedrooms and demanded valuables.
Wounded by an Accomplice
A violent confrontation followed. Morton and both daughters suffered gunshot wounds, while two members of the family were also hit in the head with a hammer.
All four victims were taken to hospital. Two have since been released, while the other two remain hospitalized with injuries described as life-altering.
Investigators believe Richards was shot in the right shoulder by one of his alleged accomplices during the struggle.
‘We believe that he was accidentally shot by one of the other suspects in this home invasion,’ Smith said.
The attackers escaped in a dark-colored SUV. Police have released grainy surveillance images but have not determined the vehicle’s make or model.
The Mortons’ expansive property, estimated to be worth about $2.1 million, includes a swimming pool, tennis court and private gardens.
Police believe the suspects may have selected the affluent neighborhood because of the valuables likely inside its homes, rather than targeting the Morton family specifically.
Morton previously told Our News Outlet that his family had suffered a ‘terrifying and life-threatening experience’ in the place where they should have been safest.
‘Your World Just Got Smaller’
‘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,’ he said.
‘No family should ever have to experience this. People should be able to sleep peacefully in their homes without fear of armed individuals breaking in and threatening their lives.’
Richards is wanted on multiple charges, including four counts each of discharging a firearm with intent to wound and robbery with a firearm, as well as three counts of aggravated assault.
He is also charged with breaking and entering, possessing a prohibited device and wearing a disguise with intent.
Police have released Richards’ photograph and warned that discomfort from his shoulder injury could make him easier to identify.
Smith issued a direct message to the wanted man during Saturday’s news conference.
‘We know who you are. And we’re actively looking for you. Your world just got smaller,’ she said.
The identities of the other two masked suspects have not been released.
‘I want to emphasize that all three suspects are considered armed and dangerous,’ Smith warned, urging the public not to approach them.
