Two men were killed in what York Regional Police are describing as a targeted shooting outside a residence in Vaughan on Wednesday evening.
Police say officers responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. to reports of gunfire on Kaiser Drive near Martin Grove and Langstaff roads.
When officers arrived, they found two adult men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds outside the home. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Const. Kevin Nebrija, one victim lived at the residence while the second was also a resident of the neighbourhood.
“They are known to each other, but in the sense that they both resided in the same area,” Nebrija told reporters.
Investigators later learned that three male suspects were seen fleeing the area in a blue SUV immediately after the shooting.
Shortly afterward, emergency crews responded to a vehicle fire approximately 12 kilometres away near Huntington and Kirby roads. Police say the burned vehicle matches the description of the suspects’ SUV and investigators are now working to determine whether the two incidents are connected.
Authorities have not yet released descriptions of the suspects and say the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
“This homicide is being considered a targeted incident, and there is no ongoing threat to public safety,” Nebrija said.
Police confirmed there were other occupants inside the home during the shooting, but no additional injuries were reported.
The incident has left nearby residents shaken.
“It’s absolutely shocking to the community here,” Nebrija said. “It’s not often that double homicides occur, especially in broad daylight.”
One resident described hearing multiple rapid gunshots before seeing emergency vehicles flood the neighbourhood.
“At first, you hear one gunshot, then it kind of stops,” the witness told local media. “Then like two, three seconds later, you hear like four, five, six in a row.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information, surveillance footage or dashcam video from the area to contact York Regional Police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.