Police have identified the victims killed in a mass shooting at a Vaughan, Ont., condominium building on Sunday.
York Regional Police said Tuesday that the victims had been identified, adding that “their next of kin have been notified.”
Police identified the victims as 57-year-old Rita Camilleri, 79-year-old Vittorio Panza, 75-year-old Russell Manock, 71-year-old Helen ‘Lorraine’ Manock and 59-year-old Naveed Dada.
Speaking to Global News on Tuesday, York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said the families of the victims have shared some details about their loved ones.
Rita Camilleri
MacSween said Camilleri was a “smart businesswoman” who had a “contagious laugh” and a “zest for life.”
“She was a loving daughter, sister, partner and the most caring aunt,” he said.
According to MacSween, Camilleri loved to travel, cook and to host her family and friends who “she cared for deeply.”
Vittorio Panza
MacSween said Panza was Camilleri’s husband, and was a “proud Italian immigrant.”
“He was a husband and father of three daughters and a proud Nono to seven grandchildren,” MacSween said.
MacSween said Panza was “a kind hearted and gentle individual” who loved his community, friends and “foremost, his family.”
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In a statement Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed Panza is the maternal grandfather to defenceman Victor Mete.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting that took place in Vaughan this past Sunday,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to Victor and his family, to all the families and friends of those affected, and to the local community.”
Russell Manock
MacSween said Manock was the “most hardworking, caring, loving father and grandfather” who “cherished every moment he spent with his family.”
He said Manock was “trusted and loved by everyone we knew him” adding that he was his family’s “rock.”
Helen ‘Lorraine’ Manock
MacSween said Helen Manock went by the name ‘Lorraine.’
He said she was the “most loving” mother, grandmother and sister, who was a “selfless, generous, kind soul” who “touched every person’s lives that she ever met.”
“Russell and Lorraine were devoted to each other and their family soulmates in life and now in heaven,” MacSween said. “Family are devastated by this unspeakable tragic loss.”
Naveed Dada
MacSween said Dada was a “great son and brother” who spent half his life in Canada.
He said Dada “always wanted to serve his community and help those in need.”
A sixth victim — 66-year-old Doreen Di Nino — was seriously injured in the shooting. She underwent emergency surgery on Monday.
“These families — it’s going to take them months and weeks and probably years to get past this horrendous event,” MacSween said. “It’s important for the community of people who know these families and who know these folks to reach out and wrap their arms collectively around these people, to help them navigate what’s what’s before them (and) what they have to do to move forward.”
MacSween said the victims are “not numbers.”
“These are real human beings,” he said. “These are real people who had families that love them.”
“It was extremely important for us as an organization to speak about who these people were and what they meant to their families,” MacSween continued.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, MacSween said emergency crews received a report of an active shooting call at around 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 18 at a condo building on Jane Street, just north of Rutherford Road.
He said officers encountered a “horrific scene.”
According to MacSween, the victims, who were all residents of the building, were shot and killed in three separate units on separate floors of the building.
Three of the victims killed were members of the condo’s board, MacSween confirmed. He said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
The gunman, identified by police as 73-year-old Francesco Villi, was killed after an encounter with an officer on the condo’s third floor, MacSween said.
Villi was a resident of the building, officials said.